Accumulator fuel injection system

ABSTRACT

A series of method and apparatus advances in the accumulator-type fuel injector art, applicable to both intensified and unintensified accumulator injectors, which cooperate to provide major improvements in internal combustion engine fuel economy, reduction of noise, and reduction of undesirable exhaust emissions, including smoke, oxides of nitrogen and hydrocarbons. According to the invention, injector needle closure speed is increased for sharper fuel cutoff and better atomization proximate closure, and needle closure bounce is minimized to minimize fuel dribble proximate closure by reducing both mass and length of the needle, which can be accomplished by a longitudinally divided needle. Hydraulic damping also damps and cushions both needle closing and needle opening. The accumulator cavity and needle spring cavity are separated, enabling the accumulator cavity to be as small as desired for high accumulator closing pressure, while nevertheless enabling a strong, fast-acting spring to be used, both factors cumulatively contributing to good closure atomization. A two-stage needle lift is provided for first injecting a pilot fuel charge for preignition, and then injecting the main fuel charge, thereby eliminating the usual adverse premixed burning. The injection spray pattern is automatically varied for improved engine efficiency over the engine power spectrum by utilizing a pintle-type injector nozzle which is variably controlled according to the quantity of fuel delivered.

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/830,981,filed Jan. 28, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,935 which is a continuationof prior application Ser. No. 07/152,013, filed on Feb. 3, 1988.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to fuel injectors for internal combustionengines, and particularly to improvements in accumulator-type fuelinjectors, including both unintensified and intensified accumulatorinjectors, which produce improved fuel economy, noise reduction, andreduction of undesirable exhaust emissions, including smoke, oxides ofnitrogen, and hydrocarbons.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Accumulator-type fuel injectors have been known in the art for manyyears, but never have achieved widespread use. It is believed this isbecause they have heretofore not solved problems present in conventionalinjectors, and have even introduced additional problems which have beeninherent in prior art forms of accumulator injectors.

One serious problem with both conventional fuel injectors and prior artaccumulator-type fuel injectors has been premixed burning of the fuel.Typically, about 25-50 percent of the total quantity of fuel injectedwill be atomized and mixed with air prior to the start of combustion.The sudden combustion of this premixed fuel causes a rapid rate of heatrelease at the beginning of ignition, with a resulting excessively highnoise level, and undesirable exhaust emissions including smoke, oxidesof nitrogen, and hydrocarbon emissions. One answer to this problem is toprovide a two-stage injection, with a small pilot charge of fuel firstinjected and ignited, and then the main charge of fuel injected andimmediately ignited by the already ignited pilot charge. A system ofthis type is taught in Loyd U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,940. Although the Loydsystem does solve the problem, it requires two separate injectors, onefor the pilot charge and another for the main charge, making the systemundesirably complicated and expensive.

Another problem with both conventional fuel injectors and prior artaccumulator-type fuel injectors is that they produce a fixed spraypattern regardless of engine power demands, and this necessarilycompromises engine efficiency at some power settings. For optimumoverall engine efficiency, it would be desirable to tailor the sprayconfiguration variably according to the power demands of the engine byhaving a relatively wide, flat conical spray configuration at relativelylow fuel delivery, such as during engine idle, and to have the cone ofthe spray narrow progressively as the power setting is progressivelyincreased.

The injector needle closure event has been characteristicallyunsatisfactory in,prior art accumulator-type injectors. Typically,atomization of the fuel has been poor as the needle approaches the seat.Rapid needle closure is required to keep atomization good during theclosing event, but the required high speed needle movement has causedneedle bounce off of the seat, resulting in secondary and sometimestertiary injection events, with essentially unatomized fuel dribblebeing the further result. Both poor atomization and fuel dribbleassociated with needle closing results in undesirable smoke and highhydrocarbon levels in the exhaust. Prior art accumulator needles havebeen characteristically long and massive, and if closed at high speed,considerable elastic compressional energy builds up along their lengthsupon striking the valve seat, and when this energy is released it causesthe needle to bounce off the seat. Examples of accumulator injectorneedles which are thus undesirably long and massive are found in FalbergU.S. Pat. Nos. 2,985,378, Berchtold 4,566,416, Loyd 4,414,940, Beck etal. 4,628,881, Vincent et al. 4,080,942, and in a 1957 publication byHooker in the Volume 65, 1957 issue of "SAE Transactions," illustratedat page 317. The typical accumulator injector needle mass is on theorder of about six grams or more, and with this much mass the energy ofmomentum of a fast-closing needle is generally too much to avoid needlebounce.

While a short, very lightweight needle is desirable to minimize needlebounce, needle closure damping associated with such short, lightweightneedle is also desirable to positively preclude needle bounce in a highspeed needle closing event. Applicants are not aware of such closuredamping having been addressed in the prior art. It is believed that thisis because the prior art has not sought to cure the problem of pooratomization proximate needle closure by means of a high speed needleclosing event.

In order to maintain good atomization right up to needle closure, it isalso necessary to have a high closing accumulator pressure, and this inturn requires high peak pressure and high average pressure in theaccumulator cavity to get the required injection quantity at high powersettings. A relatively small accumulator cavity is required for highaccumulator pressures. Conventional accumulator injector practice hasbeen to have the accumulator cavity coaxially disposed around theneedle, with the needle closure spring disposed within the accumulatorcavity. In general, this results in accumulator cavities which are toolarge for a high pressure accumulator, particularly with the very highpressure in an intensified-type accumulator injector such as thatdisclosed in the aforesaid Beck et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,881. With thespring located in the accumulator cavity, the only way to reduce thevolume of the cavity would be to reduce the size of the spring, and thisis just the opposite of what is required for high speed needle closure,namely, a large, strong closure spring This conventional arrangementwith the needle spring concentrically located within the accumulatorcavity is seen in Falberg U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,985,378, Berchtold 4,566,416,Loyd 4,414,940, Beck et al. 4,628,881, and the aforesaid Hookerpublication. Vincent et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,080,942 has the needlespring located in a control chamber which receives pressurized fluid forholding the needle down, but this has resulted in the main accumulatorchamber being spaced coaxially above the control chamber, a cumbersomearrangement which could not possibly be used in an intensified form ofaccumulator injector such as that disclosed in the Beck et al. Pat. No.4,628,881. For a practical and compact accumulator fuel injector, theaccumulator cavity should be arranged closely proximate the springcavity within a lower portion of the injector, and generallyconcentrically and thereby compactly-oriented about the spring cavity.This is the only feasible location for the accumulator cavity in anintensified form of accumulator injector.

Pintle spray nozzles having frustoconical deflecting surfaces are knownin the fuel injector art, and are common in garden hose nozzles. In hosenozzles, the angle of the spray is manually adjustable by axial movementof the pintle head relative to the orifice. However, no suchadjustability has heretofore been known in the fuel injector art, eventhough automatic adjustment of the spray cone angle to tailor the sprayto engine power demands could produce substantial increases inefficiency over the engine power spectrum.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of these and other problems in the art, it is a general objectof the present invention to provide a fuel injector for internalcombustion engines which produces reduced noise levels and reduction ofundesirable exhaust emissions, including smoke, oxides of nitrogen andhydrocarbons.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved fuel injectorfor internal combustion engines which substantially eliminates premixedburning and its adverse effects of noise and undesirable exhaustemissions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simplified two-stageinjection system for first injecting a small pilot or initial charge offuel which is ignited before injection of the main charge, and theninjecting the main charge of fuel which is immediately ignited by thealready ignited pilot charge, for elimination of the usual large amountof premixed burning and its adverse effects, the system requiring only asingle injector.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fuel injector systemwhich tailors the injection spray configuration variably according tothe power demands of the engine for improved efficiency over the fullrange of power settings, delivering the injected fuel in a relativelywide, flat conical spray configuration at relatively low engine powersettings, such as during engine idle, with the cone of the spraynarrowing progressively as the power setting is progressively increased.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fuel injector which hasa high pressure, high speed needle closing event without material needlebounce and associated secondary and possibly tertiary injectionsproximate closure, resulting in good atomization right up to closure andsubstantial elimination of fuel dribble.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in an accumulator-typefuel injector, a needle which is particularly short and light in weightso that it can be moved rapidly in the needle closing event for sharpfuel cutoff, while at the same time it will store only minimal elasticcompressional energy when it impacts the valve seat, with resultingminimization of needle closure bounce.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in an accumulator-typefuel injector, a needle closure damper for effectively damping the endof the needle closing event, for positively precluding needle closurebounce.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in an accumulator-typeinjector, a needle closure damper which is remote from the needle tipand valve seat, thereby permitting efficient shaping of the needle tipand valve seat for a high flow coefficient as the needle approaches theseat during closure, maintaining high pressure proximate the seat withresulting good atomization up to closure.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in an accumulator-typeinjector, an accumulator cavity which is separate and isolated from theneedle spring cavity yet is compactly arranged closely proximate thespring cavity within a lower portion of the injector, enabling a large,high speed needle spring to be employed, while at the same time enablingthe accumulator cavity to be as small as desired for high pressureaccumulator operation, both of which are important factors in achievingfast, crisp needle closure with good fuel atomization and minimum fueldribble proximate closure.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in an accumulator-typeinjector, a two-part needle comprising a lower part which engages thevalve seat and an upper plunger part which engages the needle during theneedle opening event to slow down the opening as a damping factor, butseparates from the needle during the needle closing event to minimizeneedle length and mass for high speed needle closure with minimum bouncefrom stored elastic compressional energy.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in an accumulator-typeinjector, novel needle opening stop devices which stop the needle at asmall initial "prelift" or "low-lift" increment of lift for a smallpilot or initial injection, and then release the needle to its full liftfor injection of the main charge.

A further object of the invention is to provide methods for controllingthe time interval during which the needle remains in the small preliftor low-lift position for injection of the pilot charge, includingadjustably orificing the needle opening vent passage, and adjusting thevent pressure level.

A still further object of the invention is to provide hydrauliccircuitry for producing and controlling the time duration of the needleprelift, including a positive stop arrangement associated with suchhydraulic circuitry for defining the amount of needle prelift.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a novel pintlenozzle arrangement which makes use of the fact that in anaccumulator-type injector needle lift is generally proportional to thedifference between the accumulator-pressures and closing pressures, andhence also to fuel delivery volume, to automatically tailor the coneangle of the spray according to engine power demands, therebysubstantially increasing efficiency over the engine power spectrum.

An additional object of the invention is to improve the flow coefficientproximate the needle tip and seat in an accumulator-type injector byaxially guiding the needle closer to the seat for improved repeatabilityof centering of the needle on the seat upon needle closure, therebyenabling higher closure pressures and consequent better fuel atomizationproximate closure.

The present invention provides a series of both method and apparatusadvances in the accumulator-type fuel injector art, each of whichproduces improved engine performance, and when some or all are combined,synergistically produce surprisingly large improvements in engine fueleconomy, reduction of noise, and reduction of undesirable exhaustemissions, including smoke, oxides of nitrogen and hydrocarbons. Theinvention is applicable to both intensified accumulator injectors of thegeneral type disclosed in the aforesaid Beck et al. patent, andunintensified accumulators of the general type disclosed in theaforesaid Beck et al., Falberg, Berchtold and Vincent et al. patents,and Hooker publication.

According to the invention, injector needle closure speed is increasedfor sharper fuel cutoff and hence better atomization proximate closure,while at the same time needle bounce off of the valve seat is reduced,to minimize secondary and sometimes tertiary injection events andconsequent fuel dribble, by reducing both the mass and the length of theneedle. In a preferred form of the invention, reduction of both theclosing mass and closing length of the needle is accomplished bydividing the needle longitudinally into a pair of longitudinal sections,a lower needle section and an upper plunger section, which act as a unitduring the needle opening stroke, but separate during the closing strokeso that a lower needle section of greatly reduced mass and lengthoperates independently during needle closure.

Needle bounce is also reduced according to the invention by means ofhydraulic damping which cushions the end of the needle closure stroke.This is accomplished by providing a damper member that is coupled to theupper end of the needle, or to the upper end of the lower needle portionin the case of the divided needle, located in a fluid-filled cavity,with close-tolerance spacing both peripherally between the damper memberand the wall of the cavity and axially under the damper member. Theresulting constriction against passage of fluid from under the dampermember past the periphery of the damper member produces a hydraulic"squish damping" effect proximate needle closure. The low mass of theneedle cooperates with this hydraulic damping in minimization of needlebounce. Preferably, this closure damping cavity is remote from theneedle tip and seat, permitting efficient shaping of the needle tip andvalve seat for a high flow coefficient and resulting good atomizationproximate closure. In preferred forms of the invention, this closuredamping cavity is also the needle spring cavity which is separate andisolated from the accumulator cavity.

The end of the opening stroke of the needle is also preferably dampedaccording to the invention. This is accomplished by providing a dampercavity just above the upper end of the needle, or in the case of thedivided needle, just above the upper end of the upper plunger section. Aneedle stop and damping plate is located in the damper cavity, havingclose-tolerance peripheral spacing relative to the wall of the cavity.The cavity has a downwardly facing shoulder against which the upper endof the needle or plunger moves the stop/damping plate to define thefully open needle position, and hydraulic squish damping occurs byconstricted flow of fluid around the periphery of the plate and betweenthe plate and this stop shoulder. The opening stroke of the needle maybe further slowed down or damped by adding mass to the needle during theopening stroke. This is accomplished by employing the divided needlearrangement referred to above which adds the mass of the plunger to themass of the needle during the opening stroke, while leaving the plungerbehind and removing its mass for the closing stroke.

The accumulator cavity is separated from the needle spring cavityaccording to the present invention. This enables the accumulator cavityto be made as small as desired for high pressure accumulator operation,while at the same time enabling use of a strong, fast-acting spring forrapid needle closure. Both high accumulator pressure, which enables highclosing pressure, and a strong spring for causing fast needle closureare factors which cumulatively contribute to good closure atomization.The spring cavity is coaxial of the needle, while the accumulator cavityis spaced radially outwardly from the spring cavity in a lower portionof the injector, which is an optimal location for the accumulator cavityin the intensified forms, of the invention. The higher the accumulatorcavity pressure, the smaller the accumulator cavity must be for the samequantity of fuel injected. To accommodate very high accumulator cavitypressures in the intensified form of the invention, the accumulatorcavity comprises a plurality of generally parallel accumulator boresperipherally spaced about the spring cavity.

Preferred forms of the present invention embody a two-stage needle liftfor first injecting a small pilot charge of fuel which is ignited beforeinjection of the main charge, and then injecting the main charge of fuelwhich is immediately ignited by the already ignited pilot charge. Thiseliminates the usual amount of premixed burning and its adverse effectsof large noise levels and large levels of undesirable exhaust emissions.The initial needle prelift or low-lift stage may be from about 1 toabout 20 percent of maximum needle lift, and the pilot charge ispreferably on the order of about 2-20 percent of the full charge.

In some forms of the invention, this two-stage needle lift isaccomplished by utilizing a two-stage venting of pressure from above theopening stop/damping plate referred to above to first stop the needle atthe prelift position, and then after a sufficient interval of time forinjection of the pilot charge, release the needle to move furtherupwardly for full injection of the main charge.

In other forms of the invention, the two-stage needle lift isaccomplished by hydraulic circuits which provide two-stage venting ofpressurized fuel from above the needle so as to cause a first low-liftincrement of movement of the injector needle, and then in sequence thefull lift movement of the needle.

The various two-stage lift forms of the invention are shown anddescribed in connection with intensified forms of the invention,applying the two-stage venting to the low pressure intensifier cylinderso as to control the pressure in the high pressure cylinder. However,such two-stage venting to control the two-stage lift is equallyapplicable to unintensified forms of the invention, with the ventingbeing from directly above the needle.

The injection spray pattern or configuration may be automatically variedfor improved engine efficiency over the engine power spectrum byutilizing a pintle nozzle which is variably controlled according to thequantity of fuel delivered. Use is made of the fact that in anaccumulator injector the needle lift is momentarily generallyproportional to the difference between opening and closing pressures,and hence also to fuel delivery volume. The pintle nozzle is arranged todeliver a relatively wide, flat cone of spray for low engine powersettings, such as at idle, and a narrowing cone of spray for increasingpower settings.

A further feature of both the intensified and unintensified forms of theinvention is that the needle is axially guided very close to the valveseat, which provides reliable repeatability of needle centering on theseat over a long operational life of the injectors. This enables theneedle tip and seat combination to have a high flow coefficient for highpressure closure and consequent good atomization proximate closure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become moreapparent from the following Detailed Description and the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged longitudinal, axial sectional view of anintensified form of the present invention, with the needle shown in theclosed position;

FIG. 2 is a transverse section taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1, lookingupwardly;

FIG. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 1, lookingdownwardly;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section, partly in elevation, takenon line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a transverse section taken on line 5--5 of FIG. 4, lookingupwardly;

FIG. 6 is a transverse section taken on line 6--6 of FIG. 5, lookingdownwardly;

FIG. 7 is a transverse section taken on line 7 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a further enlarged fragmentary longitudinal, axial section ofa portion of FIG. 1, showing a first form of the opening stop plate orwafer of the invention which is employed to provide two-stage needlelift;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to a portion of FIG. 8 showing a second form ofthe stop plate or wafer;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 showing a third form of the stopplate or wafer;

FIG. 11 is a graph or chart illustrating the two-stage needle lift ofthe invention;

FIG. 12 shows a lower portion of FIG. 1, but with the needle in itsfully lifted position;

FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 12, illustrating closure of the needleseparated from the needle plunger;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged longitudinal, axial sectional view, partly inelevation, showing an unintensified form of the invention which has avariable pintle nozzle;

FIG. 15 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary sectional view of theencircled portion of FIG. 14 designated "15", with the needle valveshown in its fully closed position;

FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIG. 15, with the needle valve in apartially opened position;

FIG. 17 is a view similar to FIGS. 15 and 16, with the needle valve inits fully opened position;

FIG. 18 is a diagrammatic illustration of a hydraulic circuit-controlledtwo-stage needle lift system, shown with its solenoid valve energizedand control piston fully extended preparatory to the commencement of aninjection event;

FIG. 19 is a view similar to FIG. 18, but with the solenoid valvedeenergized to commence the injection event, and with the control pistonpartially retracted in a first stage needle prelift position;

FIG. 20 is a view similar to FIGS. 18 and 19 with the control pistonfully retracted in a second stage full needle lift position;

FIG. 21 is an axial, vertical section of an intensified injectorembodying a positive stop piston for defining the needle preliftincrement;

FIG. 22 is a diagrammatic illustration of a hydraulic circuit similar tothat of FIGS. 18-20 but modified to control the positive stop piston inthe injection of FIG. 21; and

FIG. 23 is a view similar to FIGS. 9 and 10, in which the damping plateor member has an axial passage with a slideable pin therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Intensified Form of the Invention

Referring to the drawings, and at first particularly to FIGS. 1-8thereof, these figures illustrate an "intensified" or pressuremultiplication form of the present invention. The longitudinal axialsectional view of FIG. 1 best illustrates the overall assembly of thisform of the invention, while the fragmentary longitudinal axial sectionof FIG. 4 best illustrates the high pressure fuel input to theaccumulator cavity.

The intensified form of the invention has particular utility for dieselengines where high overall accumulator pressures and consequent highclosing pressure enabled thereby can be beneficial as describedhereinafter. Nevertheless, it is to be understood that the intensifiedform of the invention may also be beneficially employed for enginespowered with gasoline or other liquid fuels.

The intensifier-type accumulator injector of the invention is generallydesignated 10. A control block 12 is disposed at the upper end ofinjector 10, control block 12 being in communication with a high speedsolenoid actuated control valve (not shown). Such control valve may belike the valve 30 shown and described in detail in the Beck et al. U.S.Pat. No. 4,628,881, which is best illustrated in FIGS. 5a, 9 and 10 ofthat patent. Features which it is desirable to incorporate in the highspeed solenoid actuated control valve are covered in jointly ownedco-pending applications, Ser. No. 823,807 of Robert L. Barkhimer, filedJan. 29, 1986 for High Cycle Solenoid Valve (now U.S. Pat. No.4,997,004), and Ser. No. 830,000 of Niels J. Beck, filed Feb. 18, 1986for Ball Poppet Valve Seat Construction.

Control block 12 is hydraulically connected to such solenoid actuatedcontrol valve in a manner similar to the hydraulic connections of theblock 110 to the valve 30 in said Beck et al. '881 patent, for anoverall mode of operation of the present intensified accumulatorinjector 10 which is essentially the same as that of the injector ofFIGS. 5a, 5b, 9 and 10 of the Beck et al. '881 patent. It is to be notedthat in the Beck et al. '881 patent the block 110 serves not only as theupper part of the injector but also as the main body of the valve,whereas control block 12 in the present invention may be attached to anindependent valve body or otherwise hydraulically connected to thesolenoid actuated valve, remotely if desired.

The flat, transverse lower end surface 14 of control block 12 is lappedto a mating flat, transverse upper end surface 16 of an intensifier body18, control block 12 and intensifier body 18 being keyed together forcorrect relative orientation by a pair of locator dowels 20 which areseen in FIGS. 2 and 3. The flat, transverse lower end surface 22 ofintensifier body 18 is, in turn, lapped to a flat, transverse upper endsurface 24 of an accumulator body 26, intensifier body 18 andaccumulator body 26 being keyed together in correct relative orientationby a pair of locator dowels 28 seen in FIGS. 5 and 6. The flat,transverse lower end surface 30 of accumulator body 26 is lapped to aflat, transverse upper end surface 32 of a nozzle body 34 which extendsfrom upper end surface 32 to a lower end generally designated 35.Located in lower end 35 of nozzle body 34 are the injector valve seat36, sac 38 and injection holes 40.

The control block 12 and intensifier body 18 are clamped together withinan upper housing 42, intensifier body 18 being stepped so as to seatwithin upper housing 42, and control block 12 being threadedly coupledto upper housing 42. The accumulator body 26 and nozzle body 34 areclamped together with a lower housing 44 which is threadedly coupled tointensifier body 18.

A low pressure hydraulic cylinder 46 having a relatively large diameterbore is axially defined within control block 12, and a relatively largediameter, down-cupped low pressure piston 48 is axially slideable withincylinder 46. A coaxial high pressure hydraulic cylinder 50 having arelatively small bore is axially defined within intensifier body 18,extending down through the lower end surface 22 of intensifier body 18.A high pressure piston or plunger 52 having a relatively small diameteris axially slideable within high pressure cylinder 50. High pressurepiston 52 has an upper end cap 54, shown as a flange, which seats insidethe low pressure piston 48 against the top wall of the latter. Highpressure piston 52 extends downwardly to a flat, transverse lower end56, and has a reduced diameter lower end portion 57. A cylindricalspring cavity 58 is defined within intensifier body 18, opening throughthe upper end surface 16 of body 18 into communication with low pressurecylinder 46. Spring cavity 58 is coaxial with cylinder 46 but of smallerdiameter so as to provide an upwardly facing shoulder 60 which acts as astop for downward movement of low pressure piston 48, and consequentlyalso high pressure piston 52 which moves axially down and up as a unitwith low pressure piston 48. A piston return spring 62 is disposedwithin both low pressure cylinder 46 and spring cavity 58, having itslower end seated against the bottom of cavity 58 and its upper endseated against high pressure piston flange 54, biasing flange 54 againstthe top of low pressure piston 48 so as to effectively couple thepistons 48 and 52 together at all times.

An actuating fluid inlet and vent passage 64 extends axially through theupper portion of control block 12 into communication with low pressurecylinder 46, and provides liquid fuel into low pressure cylinder 46 todrive low pressure piston 48, and hence also high pressure piston 52,downwardly in an intensification stroke from the uppermost position ofthe two pistons as illustrated in FIG. 1 downwardly to an extentdetermined by the momentary power demand of the engine, the lowermostpositions of the pistons being determined by engagement of the lower lipof low pressure piston 48 against stop shoulder 60. The lowermostposition of high pressure piston 52 is the position illustrated in FIG.4.

Inlet/vent passage 64 also serves as a vent passage through which fluidis vented from low pressure cylinder 46 for initiating and controllingthe timing of a small incremental prelift of the needle for injection ofa small initial pilot charge, and then full lift of the needle for themain injection. Inlet/vent passage 64 preferably has variable orificing(not shown) for controlling the rate of decay of pressure in lowpressure cylinder 46, and hence of the intensified pressure in highpressure cylinder 50, for adjustment of the timing of the prelift andfull lift events, as described in detail hereinafter in the descriptionof the operation of the intensified injector 10. The time duration ofthe prelift phase of the injection event will control the quantity ofthe pilot charge. Such variable venting by variable orificing or valvingof passage 64 affords the opportunity to adjust the prelift portion ofthe injection while the engine is running by dynamic adjustment of thevent fluid flow. The rate of decay of pressure in low pressure cylinder46, and hence of the intensified pressure in high pressure cylinder 50,may also be controlled by adjusting the pressure level in the vent lineto passage 64, and this may also be done while the engine is running.

To accomplish a downward intensification stroke of pistons 48 and 52,pressurized liquid fuel is passed through inlet/vent passage 64 from thesolenoid control valve referred to above at common rail pressure (i.e.,regulated pump pressure). For time interval (or time duration or pulsewidth) fuel metering of the amount of the fuel charge to be introducedinto the accumulator, this rail pressure will be the same for eachpiston stroke, typically on the order of about 1,500 psig, but thelength of the time interval during which pressurized fuel is supplied tolow pressure cylinder 46 through inlet/vent passage 64 will vary from arelatively short time interval for low engine power to a relatively longtime interval for high engine power. For pressure compressibility fuelmetering of the fuel charge to be introduced into the accumulator, thepressure of fuel introduced into low pressure cylinder 46 throughinlet/vent passage 64 will vary according to engine power demands, asfor example from about 500 psig at idle to about 1,500 psig at fullpower.

For either such time duration fuel metering or pressure. compressabilityfuel metering, or a combination of both, the length of the downwardintensification stroke of pistons 48 and 52 will vary according to powerdemand, the stroke being a relatively short stroke for a relatively lowpower demand, and a relatively long stroke for a relatively high powerdemand, with the full power, maximum stroke length being to the highpressure piston 52 position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1 and shown inFIG. 4. The hydraulic pressure which builds up in low pressure cylinder46 will be generally proportional to the length of the downward stroke,and the intensified pressure in high pressure cylinder 50 will be higherthan the low pressure cylinder pressure in proportion to thecross-sectional area of high pressure piston 48 divided by thecross-sectional area of low pressure piston 52. A satisfactoryintensification factor is on the order of about 15:1, produced by a 15:1area ratio of low pressure piston 48 to high pressure piston 52. Forexample, with such a 15:1 intensification, a relatively low railpressure of 500 psig would produce a relatively low engine powerintensified pressure of 7,500 psig, while a relatively high railpressure of 1,500 psig would produce a relatively high engine powerintensified pressure of 22,500 psig.

At the engine-timed instant for initiation of an injection event, thesolenoid valve shifts to a vent position in which it vents passage 64,and hence low pressure cylinder 46, to a lowered pressure, which may beessentially atmospheric pressure, which enables piston return spring 62to move both of the pistons 48 and 52 back up to their positions ofrepose as illustrated in FIG. 1. The manner in-which this causes theinjection event to occur will be described in detail hereinbelow.

Pressure relief from within cylinder 46 and spring cavity 58 during theintensification downstroke of the pistons is accomplished through a ventcavity 66 in the upper end of intensifier body 18 and a pair ofcommunicating vent passages 68, seen in FIG. 2, which extendlongitudinally upwardly through control block 12 and are vented toessentially atmospheric pressure.

A stepped counterbore is provided in the lower end of high pressurecylinder 50. The relatively large diameter lower portion of this steppedcounterbore defines a damper cavity 70 in which a needle stop platemember 71 is disposed. The relatively small upper portion of thisstepped counterbore provides a guide for a plate spring 72 which engagesthe top of plate 71 and biases plate 71 to a normally seated position asshown in FIGS. 1 and 8 with its lower surface peripherally seated flushagainst the upper end surface 24 of accumulator body 26. The lowersurface of plate 71 has a lapped (sealingly seated) fit against ashoulder formed by upper body surface 24 so as to provide a fluid-tightseal in the normally seated position of plate 71. As a result, the netfluid pressure on the plate 71 is the product of 1) the interface areaand 2) the difference between the ambient pressure in cavity 70 and thefluid vapor pressure. Plate 71 is sometimes referred to herein as aneedle stop because it serves the function of stopping the openingstroke of the injector needle by abutting against the step or shoulder73 between the two sections of the stepped counterbore to define thefully open position of the needle. Plate 71 performs two other importantfunctions which will be described in more detail hereinafter. First,while still in its seated position as shown in FIG. 1, at the beginningof the opening stroke, the seated plate 71 enables the needle to openslightly to a prelift or low-lift position but stops the needle in thisslightly open position for injection of a small pilot charge; and thenafter a brief interval of time allows the needle to proceed to its fullyopen position for injection of the main fuel charge. Plate 71 has acentral hole 74 therethrough for admitting intensified pressurized fuelto the region below plate 71 during the intensification stroke and untilinitiation of injection, for holding the needle column down against theintensified pressure within the accumulator cavity. Second, plate 71serves as a hydraulic damper for damping the end of the opening strokeof the needle to prevent needle bounce for a more uniform fuel spray inthe early part of the injection event. The opening damping effect can beadjusted by adjusting the radial clearance between the periphery of stopplate 71 and the annular surface of damper cavity 70.

A fluid supply conduit 76 continuously supplies fuel to the injector 10at rail pressure, extending longitudinally down through both controlblock 12 and intensifier body 18, opening downwardly through the lowerend surface 22 of intensifier body 18. Fuel supply conduit 76 suppliesfuel to high pressure cylinder 50 for intensification and valving oninto the accumulator cavity. A cross-conduit 78 provides communicationfrom fuel supply conduit 76 to high pressure cylinder 50, the other endof cross-conduit 78 being blocked by a high pressure plug 80, such as a"Lee Plug," disposed in a counterbore of the cross-conduit 78.

After the end of each intensification stroke during which high pressurepiston 52 has delivered highly pressurized and compressed fuel from highpressure cylinder 50 into the accumulator cavity, when high pressurepiston 52 moves back upwardly to its uppermost, rest position as shownin FIG. 1, it draws a vacuum in high pressure cylinder 50 below fuelinlet cross-conduit 78. When the lower end portion 57 of high pressurepiston 52 uncovers cross-conduit 78 into communication with highpressure cylinder 50, fuel under rail pressure from supply conduit 76flows through cross-conduit 78 to fill the void in the lower portion ofhigh pressure cylinder 50.

High pressure cylinder 50 is thus loaded with fuel at rail pressure andis ready for another intensification stroke during which it greatlyincreases the fuel pressure above rail pressure, compressing the fueland delivering it to the accumulator cavity. For time interval fuelmetering, the amount of increase of pressurization within high pressurecylinder 50 over rail pressure will be determined by the duration of thetime interval, and the corresponding length of the stroke of highpressure piston 52 downwardly from its rest position as shown in FIG. 1.For pressure compression metering, the pressure produced by theintensification stroke in high pressure cylinder 50 will be an increaseabove rail pressure in proportion to the ratio of the transverse area oflow pressure piston 48 to the transverse area of high pressure piston52, since the intensification stroke is timed to enable a substantialequilibrium to be achieved between the downward rail pressure forceagainst the top of low pressure piston 48 and upward intensified fluidpressure force against the lower end 56 of high pressure piston 52,before the injection event is commenced by venting fluid pressure fromabove low pressure piston 48 through inlet/vent passage 64.

Reference will now be made to FIG. 4 which illustrates the fluidcommunication from high pressure cylinder 50 into the accumulatorcavity. The axial sectional view of FIG. 4 is rotationally offset 135°from the axial section of FIG. 1, this 135° offset being clockwiselooking downwardly as in FIGS. 3 and 6. A second radially orientedcross-conduit 82 is located below the upper end of the reduced diameterlower end portion 57 of high pressure piston 52 at the lowermost strokeposition of high pressure piston 52 as illustrated in FIG. 4.Cross-conduit 82 defines an outlet port 83 from high pressure cylinder50 leading to the accumulator cavity. High pressure plug 84, such as aLee Plug, seals the drilling end of cross-conduit 82, being located in acounterbore thereof.

Cross-conduit 82 leads from outlet port 83 to a longitudinally orientedpassage 86 which provides communication from high pressure cylinder 50through a check valve 88 leading to an accumulator bore 90 which definesone portion of the overall accumulator cavity. Accumulator bore 90 islocated generally in the peripheral region of accumulator body 26, andis oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of accumulator body 26.Accumulator bore 90 extends downwardly to a location proximate thebottom of accumulator body 26 where it communicates with an annularcavity or ring passage 92 seen in FIG. 1, in the same manner asaccumulator bore 96 shown in FIG. 1. There are five of theselongitudinally arranged accumulator bores spaced about the peripheralregion of accumulator body 26 in the form of the invention illustratedin FIGS. 1-10 which cumulatively make up the primary accumulator cavity,all of which communicate with annular cavity 92. These are seen insection in FIG. 7, and in the transverse sectional view of FIG. 6 theaccumulator bore 90 is seen from its upper end and the four otheraccumulator bores 94, 96, 98 and 100 are shown in dotted lines.

While five of these accumulator bores make up the primary accumulatorcavity in the illustrated form of the invention, it is to be understoodthat any desired number of such accumulator bores having any desireddiameter may be provided according to the selected volume for theprimary accumulator cavity of injector 10. Not only can the number anddiameters of these accumulator bores be varied, but also the lengths ofall of these accumulator bores except inlet bore 90 can be varied toprovide the desired primary accumulator cavity volume.

A feature of the present invention is the fact that the entireaccumulator cavity including the primary cavity represented byaccumulator bores 90, 94, 96, 98 and 100, and annular cavity 92 arecompletely isolated from and independent of the injector needle springcavity, while nevertheless being compactly arranged closely proximatethe spring cavity within a lower portion of the injector, namely withinaccumulator body 26, and thus structurally completely separated from andindependent of the upper intensifier portion of the injector. In a highpressure injector such as in the intensified injector 10, the springcavity must be relatively large to accommodate a relatively largefast-acting needle closure spring. Separation of the accumulator cavityfrom the spring cavity enables the overall accumulator cavity to be muchsmaller than conventional accumulator cavities which include the springcavity, for very high pressure operation of the injector 10.

As seen in FIG. 1, annular cavity or ring passage 92 communicatesthrough a plurality of small diameter passages 102 in nozzle body 34,preferably three or four in number, to a small kidney cavity 104 innozzle body 34 which in turn communicates with needle cavity 106 thatleads to valve seat 36. The small kidney cavity 104 and needle cavity106 together provide a small secondary accumulator cavity from which theaforesaid small pilot or initial charge is initially injected into theengine cylinder at the onset of the injection event prior to injectionof the main fuel charge from the primary accumulator cavity defined inaccumulator bores 90, 94, 96, 98 and 100, and annular cavity or ringpassage 92. Such pilot charge is preferably about 2-20 percent of thetotal injected fuel charge, and most preferably about 5-10 percent ofthe total charge.

A cylindrical needle guide passage 108 is axially defined within nozzlebody 34 between its upper end surface 32 and kidney cavity 104. Injectorvalve needle 110 has an upper guide position 112 which axially slideablyand sealingly fits within guide passage 108. The upper guide portion 112of needle 110 is of relatively large diameter, and below it needle 110tapers down in the region of kidney cavity 104 to a relatively smalldiameter lower shank portion 114 which terminates at conical needle tip116. The sliding fit of upper needle guide portion 112 within guidepassage 108 is substantially fluid-tight and is sufficiently close tovalve seat 36 for repeatably accurate centering of the needle tip 116 invalve seat 36 to provide sharper fuel cutoff and better atomizationproximate the end of each injection event, as well as increasedcomponent life, relative to conventional accumulator-type injectors inwhich the needle was either unguided or was guided at a location axiallyremote from the tip.

Injector needle 110 has a flat, transverse top surface 118 at the upperend of its guide portion 112, top surface 118 being located slightlyabove upper end surface 32 of nozzle body 34. A small locator pin 120extends axially upwardly from the top surface 118 of the needle tolocate a spring guide and needle damper member 122 coaxially relative toneedle 110. The guide/damper member 122 fits over locator pin 120 andhas a flat annular damping base 124 which seats against the top surface118 of needle 110. The damping base 124 provides damping flange meansfor hydraulic damping of needle closure events as described below. Areduced diameter, upwardly projecting spring locator portion 126 ofguide/damper 122 provides radial centering for the needle spring. It isto be noted that the top surface 118 of needle 110, and hence also theflat annular base portion 124 of guide/damper 122, is displaced abovethe upper end surface 32 of nozzle body 34 in the fully closed positionof needle 110, which assures complete closure of needle 110 by theneedle spring.

An elongated, cylindrical spring cavity 128 extends axially upwardlyfrom upper end surface 32 of nozzle body 34 through a major portion ofthe length of accumulator body 26, terminating at an upper end surface130. The needle spring is a helical compression spring 132 which isaxially arranged within spring cavity 128 with its lower end seatedagainst the flat annular base 124 of guide/damper 122 and its upper endseated against the upper end 130 of cavity 128.

Extending axially upwardly from the upper end 130 of spring cavity 128through the upper end surface 24 of accumulator body 26 is a plungerguide and sealing passage 134 within which the cylindrical upper sealingportion 138 of a needle plunger 136 is slideably and sealingly fitted.Needle plunger 136 has an upper end 140 which is exposed to dampercavity 70 but recessed slightly down into passage 134 below the upperbody surface 24, and hence below the bottom surface of stop plate 71, inthe normally seated position of plate 71. The amount of clearancebetween plunger end 140 and plate 71 determines the height of the smallpreliminary increment of needle lift for the premix pilot charge.Plunger 136 extends axially downwardly from its upper end 140 as anintegral member which includes the cylindrical upper sealing portion 138and an elongated, cylindrical lower portion 142 which extends throughthe spring 132 to a lower end 144 which faces and is proximate theupward projection 126 of needle guide/damper 122. Spring cavity 128communicates through a vent passage 146 to fuel supply conduit 76 at theinterface between accumulator body 26 and intensifier body 18.

Needle plunger 136 serves a series of functions in its independentcapacity from needle 110 during operation of the intensified accumulatorinjector 10. First, during the intensification stroke of high pressurepiston 52, the intensified fluid pressure in damper cavity 70 operatesthrough stop plate hole 74 against the upper end 140 of plunger 136 tohold plunger 136 down against guide/damper 122 so as to hold needle 110down against needle valve seat 36 with the aid of spring 132 against theupward force of the intensified pressure in the accumulator cavityagainst the lower part of needle 110.

Second, the length of needle plunger 136 defines the amount of clearancebetween plunger end 140 and the seated stop plate 71. At the onset ofthe needle opening event, intensified fluid pressure acts downwardly ona larger surface of plate 71 than upwardly on plate 71 because a portionof the lower surface of plate 71 is masked by its lapped fit againstupper body surface 24 and thus is subject to only fluid vapor pressure.Thus, shortly after the onset of the needle opening event, plate 71positively stops plunger 136, and hence needle 112, at a smallpercentage of full needle lift, and time for injection of the pilotcharge is provided until the intensified pressure above plate 71 isvented sufficiently to allow needle 112 and plunger 136 to unseat plate71 and to move plate 71 upwardly from body surface 24.

Third, the mass of plunger 136 is added to the mass of needle 110 todamp and slow down the beginning of the needle opening event, which isan added factor in allowing time for the pilot charge in cavities 104and 106 to be injected into the engine cylinder before it can beovertaken by the main charge from the larger primary accumulator cavity.

Fourth, with needle 110 and its plunger 136 joined as an effectivelyunitary structure during the opening stroke of needle 110, the upper end140 of plunger 136 is enabled to be utilized in cooperation with plate71 to damp the end of the needle opening event. When plate 71 is movedupwardly by plunger 136 in its damper cavity 70, displacement of fluidby plate 71 is limited by the constriction between the periphery ofplate 71 and the annular wall of damper cavity 70, and by the narrowingconstriction between the top of plate 71 and shoulder 73, therebydamping the upper end of the needle opening event by a hydraulic dampingaction which may referred to as "squish damping." This prevents needlebounce at the end of the opening event.

Fifth, and of great importance in enabling a very rapid needle closingevent to be achieved, the separation of needle plunger 136 from needle110 enables needle 110 to be relatively short and of very low mass ascompared to conventional accumulator injector needles, so that needle110 can be accelerated very rapidly by spring 132 to achieve a veryrapid needle closing event. The low mass and short length of separatedneedle 110 also minimize the amount of compression energy that can bestored in the needle upon impacting the seat, and correspondinglyminimizes needle closing bounce. The mass of separated needle 110 may beas little as one-third or less than the mass of conventional accumulatorinjector needles, and the closing acceleration of the low mass,separated needle 110 is estimated to be in the range of from about10,000-20,000 Gs.

With such a high speed needle closing event, it is desirable to damp theend of closure to assure against needle bounce, even with the short,light-weight needle, and this function is performed by guide/damper 122.As guide/damper 122 and needle 110 move downwardly during the needleclosing event, fluid at rail pressure must be displaced from belowguide/damper 122 through the constriction between the periphery of itsflat annular base 124 or damping flange means and the wall of springcavity 128 to above base 124. The guide/damper thus serves as a shockabsorber to hydraulically damp the needle closure in a squish dampingaction, cushioning the end of the injection event. This is a furtherfactor in preventing the needle from dynamically or mechanicallybouncing from compression energy that might otherwise be stored alongthe length of the needle upon impacting the seat. This closing dampereffect can be adjusted by adjusting the radial clearance between theperiphery of guide/damper base 124 and the surface of spring cavity 128,or by adjusting the axial clearance between the bottom of guide/damperbase 124 and upper surface 32 of nozzle body 34, or by making bothadjustments.

If desired, a slight annular relief cavity (not shown) may be providedin the wall of spring cavity 128 offset above the lower end of cavity128 so as to allow fluid to bypass the periphery of guide/damper base124 more freely during the early part of the needle closing stroke,while still presenting the full constriction between the periphery ofbase 124 and the wall of spring cavity 128 during the final phase of theclosure stroke. However, experiments have shown that the shock absorbingeffect of the fluid constriction between the periphery of guide/damperbase 124 and the unrelieved cylindrical wall of spring cavity 128effectively eliminates secondary injections from needle bounce withoutdetrimentally slowing down the high rate of needle closure enabled bythe short, very low mass needle 110. Cooperating in such elimination ofneedle bounce is the very fact that the needle is short. This causesminimization of the amount of longitudinal elastic compression energythat can be stored in the needle upon impact with the seat.

Spring cavity 128, in addition to serving the functions of housingneedle return spring 132 and cooperating with guide/damper 122 to dampthe closure stroke of needle 110, also serves as a collector for anyintensified pressure fuel which may seep between the upper sealingportion 138 of needle plunger 136 and its passage 134, or between theupper guide portion 112 of needle 110 and its guide passage 108, or fromannular cavity 92 radially inwardly past the inner interface betweenlower accumulator body surface 30 and upper nozzle body surface 32.

Operation of the Intensified Form of the Invention

Overall and specific systems for operating an intensifier-typeaccumulator injector of the general type of the present invention areillustrated and described in detail in the Beck et al. U.S. Pat. No.4,628,881, including the aforesaid high speed solenoid actuated controlvalve, and such systems are fully applicable for operating theintensifier-type accumulator of the present invention. Accordingly, theBeck et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,881 is hereby incorporated by referencefor its disclosures of apparatus and methods for operating theintensifier-type accumulator injectors 10 of the present invention.

Operation of the present invention is best understood with reference toFIGS. 1, 4, 8 and 11-13 of the drawings. FIG. 1 illustrates injector 10in a position of repose prior to a sequence of intensification andinjection events. Inlet/vent passage 64 is vented to a sufficientlyreduced pressure, which may be essentially atmospheric pressure, toenable spring 62 to bias low pressure piston 48 and high pressure piston52 to their uppermost positions, with the lower end 56 of high pressurepiston 52 above fuel inlet cross-conduit 78. Fuel supply conduit 76 isconstantly supplied with fuel at rail pressure, and high pressurecylinder 50 below piston 52 has been filled with fuel at rail pressurefrom fuel supply conduit 76 through inlet conduit 78 and fuel port 79.Injector needle 110 is closed against needle valve seat 36, andaccumulator inlet check valve 88 is also closed, with the fuel pressurewithin the accumulator cavity static at the needle closure pressure,which is preferably relatively high for a crisp needle closing eventwith good fuel atomization right up to closure and minimal, if any, fueldribble proximate closure. Typically, this static, residual pressurewithin the accumulator cavity will be in the range of from about 3,000psig to about 6,000 psig, and preferably it will be in the high pressurepart of this range for best fuel cutoff characteristics. Needle stopplate 71 is biased by spring 72 to its sealed position against the uppersurface 24 of accumulator body 26. Needle plunger 136 may, in this restcondition of injector 10, be in any position from where its lower end144 is in contact with guide/damper 122 to where its upper end 140 is incontact with stop plate 71.

An intensification stroke is caused by introduction of fuel at railpressure through actuating fluid inlet passage 64 into low pressurecylinder 46 to drive low pressure piston 48 downwardly, piston 48carrying high pressure piston 52 downwardly with it for the intensifyingstroke, the extent of this stroke being determined either by the timeduration of application of rail pressure through passage 64 for timemetering or by the pressure of the fuel introduced through passage 64for pressure metering. The maximum travel of this intensification strokeis to the position of high pressure piston 52 shown in FIG. 4, with theupper end of reduced portion 57 still being located above the highpressure cylinder outlet port 83 so that port 83 remains clear. Duringthis downward intensification stroke of the pistons, fuel is pressurizedand compressed within high pressure cylinder 50, and such pressurizationand compression is transmitted into the entire accumulator cavitythrough high pressure cylinder outlet port 83, cross-conduit 82,longitudinal passage 86, check valve 88, and accumulator bore 90, thepressurized, compressed fuel passing from bore 90 into annular cavity 92and thence into accumulator bores 94, 96, 98 and 100, and alsodownwardly through nozzle passages 102 into kidney cavity 104 and needlecavity 106. The quantity of fuel thus poised in the accumulator cavityfor injection depends upon the amount of compression of the fuel withinthe accumulator cavity, which depends upon the amount of pressureprovided by the intensifier stroke, and this may range from about6,000-7,000 psig for minimum engine power at idle up to about 22,000psig or even higher for maximum engine power.

During the intensification stroke, the increasingly high intensifiedpressure within high pressure cylinder 50 is applied through dampercavity 70 to the upper end surface 140 of needle plunger 136. Plunger136 seats against guide/damper 122 and transmits the resulting force ofthe intensified pressure to guide/damper 122 and thence to top surface118 of needle 110, and this force, together with the force of needlespring 132, securely holds needle 110 down on its seat 36. This downwardforce on needle 110 is greater than the upward force as determined bythe intensified pressure within kidney cavity 104 and needle cavity 106operating upwardly on the differential area between the cross-section ofupper guide portion 112 of the needle and the area of the needle seat.

At the end of the intensification stroke, injector 10 is ready for aninjection event, which is initiated by venting the actuating fluidinlet/vent passage 64, and hence low pressure cylinder 46, to a reducedpressure. This allows piston spring 62 to move both of the pistons 48and 52 upwardly at a rate which may be controlled by orificing ofpassage 64, which now serves as a vent conduit. The mode of operation ofthe two-stage needle lift is best understood with reference to the graphor chart in FIG. 11.

The solid line curve 149 in FIG. 11 represents a plot of intensifierpressure (the pressure within intensifier cylinder 50) versus time.Curve 149 shows the rate of decay of pressure in intensifier cylinder 50as it may be controlled by orificing of vent passage 64. Adjustment ofthe orificing of vent passage 64 will cause a corresponding adjustmentof the rate of decay or slope of pressure/time curve 149. Thus, agreater constriction of the orificing in passage 64, with a reduced ventflow rate, will result in a flatter pressure/time curve 149; while alesser constriction in passage 64, with corresponding increased ventfluid flow through passage 64, will result in a steeper slope forpressure/time curve 149.

The dotted line curve 150 represents needle position versus time, andshows how the needle lift timing relates to the intensifier pressuredecay represented by curve 149.

At time T₀ the injection event is set into motion by commencement ofventing of low pressure cylinder 46 through vent passage 64. At thistime the needle is closed, or has zero lift. As the pressure decays fromT₀ to T₁, the needle remains closed because

    A.sub.p1 (P.sub.int)>P.sub.acc (A.sub.stem -A.sub.seat)-F.sub.s

where

A_(p1) is the cross-sectional area of upper portion 138 of plunger 136

P_(int) is pressure in intensifier cylinder 50

P_(acc) is pressure in the accumulator cavity

A_(stem) is the area of the upper guide portion 112 of needle 110

A_(seat) is the area of the needle valve seat

F_(s) is the force of needle spring 132.

The needle lifts initially to its prelift increment at time T₁ whenA_(p1) (P_(int))=P_(acc) (A_(stem) -A_(seat))-F_(s). This initialprelift increment is preferably in the range of from about 1-20 percentof maximum needle lift. It is shown on curve 150 as being approximately5 micrometers, or 0.005 millimeters. This low-lift or prelift incrementof the needle lift is defined when the upper end 140 of plunger 136 isstopped against the bottom surface of stop plate 71 which is seated andsealed against upper surface 24 of accumulator body 26. The upward blipof pressure/time curve 149 at T₁ represents a momentary pressure surgein intensifier cylinder 50 caused by the upward shift of plunger 136.Between T₁ and T₂, stop plate 71 remains seated against body surface 24to hold the needle at the fixed prelift increment because

    A.sub.p2 (P.sub.int)+F.sub.s1 >P.sub.acc (A.sub.stem -A.sub.seat)-F.sub.s

where

A_(p2) is the cross-sectional area of stop plate 71 which is sealedagainst upper body surface 24

F_(s1) is the force of plate spring 72.

The needle lifts completely starting at time T₂ when

    A.sub.p2 (P.sub.int)+F.sub.s1 =P.sub.acc (A.sub.stem -A.sub.seat)-F.sub.s

In the example of FIG. 11, full needle lift is approximately 0.2millimeters. At time T₂, stop plate 71 becomes unseated from upper body,surface 24 so that the seal between the plate 71 and the shoulder 24 isbroken and the vapor pressure acting on the bottom of plate 71 increasesto the ambient pressure in cavity 70. Plate 71 thus shifts upwardly tobecome seated on stop shoulder 73. The pressure blip proximate T₂ iscaused by a transitory pressure surge in intensifier cylinder 50 whenplunger 136 and stop plate 71 shift upwardly.

The volume of the pilot charge will vary generally proportionally toboth the time duration between T₁ and T₂ and the height of the needleprelift increment, both indicated by the dotted line curve 150. It ispreferably about 2-20 percent of the total fuel charge, and mostpreferably about 5-10 percent of the total charge.

In FIG. 12, needle 110 is shown in its fully open position, with needle110, guide/damper 122, plunger 136 and stop plate 71 all closed togetherin a solid column, and stop plate 71 seated against shoulder 73.

The two phases of needle opening movement proximate T₁ and T₂ are sloweddown and controlled by addition of the mass of plunger 136 to the massof needle 110. The very short distance needle 110 and plunger 136 travelduring the prelift phase does not allow enough momentum to build up inthe needle/plunger combination to jar plate 71 off of its seated, sealedposition. Then, when needle 110, plunger 136 and plate 71 move onupwardly in the second opening phase for the main injection, plate 71damps the end of the opening event by hydraulic squish damping. This iscaused both by the closely constricted peripheral zone between the outerannular surface of plate 71 which restricts fluid flow from above tobelow plate 71, and by the narrowing gap as the upper surface of plate71 approaches its mating shoulder 73. The result is substantialelimination of needle bounce at the end of the opening event, withbetter spray uniformity at the beginning of the main part of theinjection.

The needle remains open during the second phase or main part of theinjection event as long as

    P.sub.acc (A.sub.stem -A.sub.seat)>F.sub.s

Then the needle closing event commences when

    P.sub.acc (A.sub.stem -A.sub.seat)=F.sub.s

Needle closure then occurs rapidly until complete closure occurs at timeT₃. Separation of needle 110 from plunger 136 during needle closuregreatly reduces the effective mass and hence the inertia of the needleso that needle 110 can be accelerated very rapidly by spring 132 toachieve a rapid, crisp closing event; while at the same time, the lowmass and short length of the separated needle 110 minimize needle bounceby minimizing the amount of compression energy that can be stored in theneedle upon closing impact with the seat.

FIG. 13 illustrates the separation of needle 110 and its guide/damper122 from needle plunger 136 during the closing event. Since needle 110and guide/damper 122 are completely separate parts from needle plunger136, they are enabled to be driven entirely independently of plunger 136from the open position of FIG. 12 through the closing event to theclosed position of FIG. 13.

Needle bounce is also minimized by the squish damping effect resultingfrom the small clearance between the flanged periphery of guide/damper124 and the cylindrical surface of spring cavity 128, and also by thelimited clearance between the bottom of guide/damper 124 and the uppersurface 32 of nozzle body 34. The very light-weight, short needle 110cooperates in such squish damping by minimizing the amount of needleinertia which must be controlled by the damping. With these factorscooperating, needle bounce is substantially eliminated in the presentinvention. With relatively high closing accumulator pressure, the rapid,crisp closing event, coupled with the substantial elimination of closingneedle bounce, enable full fuel atomization to be maintained right up toneedle closure, for optimum ignition. The sharp closure cutoff andelimination of fuel dribble at closure are important in the eliminationof smoke and hydrocarbon emissions.

It is to be noted that the needle closure damper, represented by theguide/damper and its small clearances relative to the surface of springcavity 128 and surface 32 of nozzle nody 34, is remote from needle tip116 and valve seat 36. This permits efficient-shaping of the needle tipand valve seat for a high flow coefficient as the needle approaches theseat during closure. Such high flow coefficient enables high pressure tobe maintained proximate the seat for good atomization up to closure.

Another factor which assures sharp fuel cutoff at needle closure is theclose proximity of needle guide portion 112 in guide passage 108 to theneedle seat 36. By this means, the needle is continuously guided forconsistent concentric seat contact. This is a factor in making the endof the injection event stronger than for conventional accumulatorinjector needles, with resulting better atomization at the end ofinjection. Consistent concentric closure contact of the needle in theseat assures a high flow coefficient and consequent high closingpressure and good atomization.

Referring again to FIG. 11, although the invention is not limited to anyparticular time intervals, typically the time from T₀ to T₁ will be onthe order of about 0.1-0.3 milliseconds, and the time from T₂ to T₃ willbe on the order of about 4-8 milliseconds. By way of comparison, with aconventional accumulator-type injector, the needle will be fully openedin on the order of about 0.2 milliseconds.

As an alternative to, or in addition to, controlling the rate of decayof the intensifier pressure as represented by curve 149 in FIG. 11 bymeans of orificing of vent passage 64 to slow down the vent rate fromlow pressure cylinder 46, the vent rate from low pressure cylinder 46can also be controlled by adjusting the pressure level in the vent line.Thus, by raising the vent pressure in passage 64, the differentialpressure between low pressure cylinder 46 and vent passage 64 will belowered, correspondingly lowering the rate of fluid venting from lowpressure cylinder 46, and accordingly flattening the intensifierpressure/time curve 149 in FIG. 11. Conversely, lowering of the ventpressure level in vent passage 64 will increase the pressuredifferential between low pressure cylinder 46 and vent passage 64,steepening the intensifier pressure/time curve 149 in FIG. 11. Suchadjustments will, therefore, vary the time intervals between T₀ and T₁and between T₁ and T₂.

The two-stage opening of the needle in the present invention to providea small initial pilot charge followed by the main charge has importantbenefits. The small amount of fuel in the pilot charge will ignitebefore the needle opens fully, so that the fire has started when themain charge is injected. This causes the main charge to igniteimmediately upon injection, without the usual large percentage of themain charge being injected before it ignites. This provides a greatreduction in noise, improvement of fuel economy, and elimination ofsmoke. It also greatly reduces undesirable exhaust emissions,principally oxides of nitrogen and hydrocarbon emissions.

In the foregoing description of the intensified form 10 of theinvention, full needle lift has been indicated as being determined byengagement of stop plate 71 against stop shoulder 73. This will alwaysbe true for high power engine settings. However, the amount of needlelift off of its seat will actually vary generally in proportion to thedifference between the opening and closing pressures of the accumulatoras discussed in detail hereinafter in connection with the unintensifiedform of the invention shown in FIGS. 14-17. Accordingly, it is to beunderstood that for low and intermediate engine power settings,typically the needle will not lift off of the seat during the second,main phase of the injection sufficiently for stop plate 71 to fully seatagainst shoulder 73.

FIG. 9 illustrates a modified stop plate 71a which defines the preliftincrement by the depth of a downwardly facing annular, axial recess 147in plate 71a. Here, in the lowermost position of plunger 136a which isshown, its top surface 140a registers with the upper surface 24 ofaccumulator-body 26. This modification enables stop plate 71a to bethicker than stop plate 71 of FIGS. 1, 4 and 8, thereby minimizing thepossibility of flexure of plate 71a when it is impacted by plunger 136a,so as to assure maintenance of the seal between the bottom surface ofplate 71a and the upper body surface 24. Damper cavity 70a inintensifier body 18a is made correspondingly deeper to accommodate thethicker plate 71a.

FIG. 10 illustrates a further modified stop plate arrangement whichwould eliminate any possibility of the prelift seal between the stopplate and the body being disrupted by the impact Of the plunger againstthe plate. In this case, two annular seals are employed in place of theflat seal of each of the stop plates 71 and 71a against the respectivebodies. In the form of FIG. 10, plate 71b is made still thicker toaccommodate a deeper annular, axial recess 147b in the bottom of plate71b, and the upper end of plunger 136b extends up into recess 147b inthe lowermost position of plunger 136b which is shown. The preliftincrement of movement is defined by the spacing between upper endsurface 140b of plunger 136b and the end of plate recess 147b. A firstlapped seal is provided between the cylindrical outer periphery of plate71b and the cylindrical surface of damper cavity 70b, and a secondlapped seal is provided between the cylindrical surface of plunger 136band the opposed cylindrical surface of plate recess 147b. These twoannular seals serve the same sealing function as the single flat seal inthe other two forms, but they cannot be disrupted by impacting ofplunger 136b against plate 71b. Damper cavity 70b is given still furtherdepth to accommodate the thicker stop plate 71b.

In the embodiment of FIG. 10, hydraulic damping of full-lift needleopening events is caused by the constriction between the top surface ofplate 71b and shoulder 73b as plate 71b approaches shoulder 73b.

Unintensified Form of the Invention

An unintensified form of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 14-17 ofthe drawings. The unintensified accumulator injector of the inventionhas particular utility for gasoline engines, for which the injectionpressures will typically be considerably less than for diesel engines.Nevertheless, it is to be understood that the unintensified form of theinvention shown in FIGS. 14-17 may be beneficially employed with bothdiesel and gasoline engines, or with engines powered by other liquidfuels. In the unintensified form of the invention, the pressure of thefuel in the accumulator immediately preceding the injection event issubstantially rail pressure, and this can be adjusted to accommodate therequirements of any type engine.

The unintensified accumulator injector shown in FIGS. 14-17 is generallydesignated 152, and has an elongated body 153 with a relatively largediameter upper portion 154 and a relatively small diameter lower portion156. The lower body portion 156 forms an inner core structure within theaccumulator cavity, and defines the needle spring cavity separately fromthe accumulator cavity. Body 152 has a flat, transverse lower endsurface 158 which is lapped to the complementary flat, transverse uppersurface 160 of nozzle body 162. Nozzle body 162 carries a pintle-typenozzle generally designated 164, the structure and operation of whichwill be described in detail hereinafter in connection with FIGS. 15-17.

Elongated body 153 and nozzle body 162 are both carried in a housinggenerally designated 166. Housing 166 has an internally threaded uppercoupling section 168 within which the upper body portion 154 isthreadedly coupled, with an O-ring seal 170 engaged between body portion154 and housing 166 to provide a fluid-tight seal for the accumulatorcavity within housing 166. Housing 166 has an intermediate barrelsection 172, and a reduced diameter lower end section 174 which providesa seat for nozzle body 162, with a seal ring 175 providing a fluid-tightseal between nozzle body 162 and the inwardly flanged lower end ofhousing 166.

Fuel is supplied to injector 152 from a high speed solenoid actuatedvalve (not shown) at common rail (regulated pump) pressure through afuel supply conduit 176 in body 152 for pressurizing the accumulatorcavity. The rail pressure fuel passes from supply conduit 176 through ashort communicating transverse conduit 178, past a check valve 180, andthence through a generally longitudinally arranged conduit 182 into theprimary accumulator cavity which includes an upper portion 184 definedbetween the inner surface 186 of housing barrel section 172 and thestepped outer surfaces 188 and 190 of lower body portion 156; and alower portion 192 defined between a reduced diameter inner housingsurface 194 and both the elongated body surface 190 and the outersurface 196 of nozzle body 162. A plurality of passages 198, preferablythree or four in number, extends downwardly and radially inwardly fromlower accumulator cavity section 192 to kidney cavity 200 whichsurrounds the lower end portion of the valve needle and communicateswith the valve seat 202 through a cavity extension 203. Kidney cavity200 and its extension 203 together form a small secondary accumulatorcavity for providing a small initial injection charge before the primaryinjection charge comes from the main accumulator cavity consisting ofrespective upper and lower primary cavity sections 184 and 192.

The injector needle is generally designated 204, and includes acylindrical upper guide portion 206, the needle tapering down to arelatively smaller diameter lower shank portion 208 leading to theneedle tip. Upper guide portion 206 of needle 204 is axially slideablyand sealingly mounted in a needle guide passage 209 which extends fromkidney cavity 200 axially through nozzle body 162.

Injector needle 204 has a flat, transverse top surface 210 locatedslightly above upper end surface 160 of the nozzle body 162 in theclosed position of needle 204 as shown in FIG. 14. A needle damper andlower spring guide 212 seats flush against the top surface 210 of theneedle. Damper/guide 212 has a flat annular damping base or flange 214and an axially upwardly projecting spring locator portion 216 of reduceddiameter. Damper/guide member 212 is located in the lower end portion ofan elongated, cylindrical spring cavity 218 which is axially disposedwithin the lower portion 156 of central body 152. Spring cavity 218extends from a lower end defined by the upper surface 160 of nozzle body162 axially upwardly to an upper end 220 against which an elongated,tubular upper spring guide 222 seats. Needle spring 224, which is ahelical compression spring, is engaged between damper/guide 212 andguide 222. A downward extension 226 of fuel supply conduit 176communicates through tubular upper guide 222 to spring cavity 218 so asto apply fuel at rail pressure within spring cavity 218 when theaccumulator cavity is pressurized. Spring cavity 218 is solidly filledwith fuel at all times during operation of injector 150, pressurizedfuel within cavity 218 operating downwardly against the needle topsurface 210 together with the-force of spring 224 holding needle 204down when the accumulator cavity is pressurized, and the presence offuel in cavity 218 enabling damper/guide 212 to perform its hydraulicneedle damping function at the end of each injection event.

As with the intensified form of the invention, an advantage of theunintensified form shown in FIGS. 14-17 is the fact that the entireaccumulator cavity is completely isolated from and independent of theinjector needle spring cavity, while nevertheless being arranged closelyproximate the spring cavity within a lower portion of the injector, andbeing concentrically and thereby compactly oriented about the springcavity. This enables the spring cavity to be made relatively large toaccommodate a relatively large, fast-acting needle closure spring, whileat the same time placing no limit on how small the accumulator cavitymay be made for high pressure operation of the injector 152.

As with the intensified form, the unintensified form of FIGS. 14-17 hasthe advantages of a short, light-weight needle and remote location ofthe needle closure damper relative to the needle and its seat, with thesame advantages as set forth hereinabove for the intensified form.

FIGS. 15, 16 and 17 illustrate the structure and operation of pintlenozzle 164, FIG. 15 showing nozzle 164 in its fully closed position,FIG. 16 showing nozzle 164 in a partially opened position, and FIG. 17showing nozzle 164 in its fully opened position. Pintle nozzle 164 has acylindrical orifice 228 which extends axially from frustoconical valveseat 202 downwardly through the lower end 230 of injector 150, which isthe flat lower end surface of nozzle body 162. A reduced diameter pintleshank 232 extends axially downwardly from the lower end 234 of needle204 which is located just below the frustoconical needle seating surface236. A flared pintle head 238 on the lower end of pintle shank 232 has afrustoconical downwardly and radially outwardly deflecting spray surfaceor flare portion 240, pintel head 238 ending in a lower cylindrical tipportion 242 which has a flat, transverse end surface 244. Pintle nozzle164 produces a generally conical injection spray, the cone angle ofwhich varies generally in inverse proportion to the volume of fuelinjected into an engine cylinder during each injection event, the coneangle varying from a relatively widespread cone angle at minimum or idleengine power down to a relatively narrow cone angle at high or maximumengine power.

Operation of the Unintensified Form of the Invention

The overall and specific systems shown and described in the Beck et al.U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,881 for operating an unintensified accumulatorinjector, such as that in FIGS. 16-18 of that patent, including theaforesaid high speed solenoid actuated control valve, are fullyapplicable for operating the unintensified accumulator injector of thepresent invention. Accordingly, the Beck et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,881is hereby incorporated by reference for its disclosures of apparatus andmethods for operating the unintensified accumulator injectors 152 of thepresent invention.

As with the intensified form of the invention, an overall system foroperating an unintensified-type accumulator injector of the general typeof the present invention is illustrated and described in detail in theBeck et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,881, and everything disclosed in thatpatent relative to systems for operating unintensified injectors andmodes of operation of unintensified injectors is applicable foroperation of the unintensified-type accumulator injectors 152 of thepresent invention. Accordingly, the Beck et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,881is hereby incorporated by reference for its disclosures of apparatus andmethods for operating the unintensified-type accumulator injectors 152of the present invention. The unintensified version of the inventiondisclosed in the Beck et al. '881 patent is illustrated in FIGS. 16-18of that patent and described in detail in connection therewith.

Fuel at rail pressure is valved to fuel supply conduit 176, preferablyby actuation of a high speed solenoid actuated valve which may be likethe valve 30 shown and described in detail in the Beck et al. '881patent, which is best illustrated in FIGS. 5a, 9 and 10 of that patent,and is illustrated in connection with the unintensified form of injectorin FIGS. 16-18 of that patent. As with the intensified form of thepresent invention, it is desirable to incorporate in the unintensifiedform of the present invention features which are covered in thepreviously referred to co-pending applications Ser. Nos. 823,807 and830,000.

The incremental volume of fuel injected during each injection event ofinjector 152 will be determined by the pressure of the fuel that isbuilt up in the accumulator cavity by fuel introduced through fuelsupply conduit 176. Such accumulator pressure may be determined by timeinterval or pulse width fuel metering from a source with a fixed railpressure, or by pressure compressability metering from a variable railpressure source, or a combination of both types of fuel metering. Theinjection pressure may be varied according to the needs of any engine,typically from about 500 psig to about 2,000 psig for direct injectiongasoline engines, and typically from about 500 psig to about 22,000 psigfor diesel engines.

During the accumulator cavity pressurizing phase of the injectoroperating cycle, pressurized fuel entering fuel supply conduit 176 willbe introduced into the accumulator cavity through transverse conduit178, check valve 180, and conduit 182 until the pressure required forany particular power setting of the engine is achieved in theaccumulator cavity. Before the actual injection event occurs, thepressure will be substantially uniform in all portions of theaccumulator cavity, including the primary accumulator cavity consistingprincipally of upper portion 184 and lower portion 192, and alsoincluding the small volume within entry conduit 182 and the small volumewithin nozzle passages 198, and the secondary accumulator cavityconsisting of kidney cavity 200 and its extension 203. For time intervalor pulse width fuel metering, the pressure in the accumulator cavitywill be raised to substantially the fixed rail pressure for maximumpower, and will be proportionately less for lower power settings. Forpressure compressibility metering, the pressure will be raised in theaccumulator cavity to substantially the rail pressure which will varyfrom a maximum pressure for a full power setting of the engine and aproportionately lesser pressure for lower power settings of the engine.

When the programmed pressure for an injection event has been achievedwithin the accumulator cavity, either at the end of the pressure inputpulse through supply conduit 176 for time interval or pulse widthmetering, or upon substantially reaching a fluid pressure balance of thepressure in supply conduit 176 and the pressure in the accumulatorcavity for pressure compressibility metering, check valve 180 will closeto seal off the accumulator cavity from supply conduit 176. Duringpressurization of the accumulator cavity and after such pressurizationbut before commencement of the injection event, injector needle 204 willbe positively held down against valve seat 202 by the combined forces ofcompression spring 224 and fluid pressure applied from within springcavity 218 against the top surface 210 of needle 204. These combineddownward forces on needle 204 overpower the upward force on needle 204which is the force of fluid pressure in the accumulator cavity operatingupwardly against the differential area of the cross-section of-upperneedle portion 206 minus the seating area of the needle seating surface236 against valve seat 202.

After the accumulator cavity has been pressurized to the programmedextent, the injection event is initiated by movement of the controlvalve to a vent position which relieves the pressure from supply conduit176. This relieves the fluid pressure from within spring cavity 218, andhence from top surface 210 of needle 204 through tubular upper springguide 222 and supply conduit extension 226, and the fluid pressure inthe accumulator cavity operating upwardly on the aforesaid differentialcross-sectional area of the needle overcomes the force of spring 224 andlifts needle 204 up off of valve seat 202 to commence the injectionevent. The injection will continue, with needle seating surface 236separated from seat 202, until the accumulator pressure drops to a levelat which spring 224 overcomes the upward force of the reducedaccumulator pressure on the aforesaid needle differential area, at whichtime the needle surface 236 will again seat on valve seat 202 tocomplete the injection event.

The incremental volume of fuel injected during the injection event willbe approximately proportional to the difference between the opening andclosing pressures within the accumulator cavity, the closing pressurebeing determined by the axial compression force of the needle spring 224that is selected. Thus, the volume of fuel injected is based upon thecompressibility of the fuel within the accumulator cavity. The needleclosing force of spring 224 is preferably selected to maintain arelatively high accumulator cavity pressure at the end of injection soas to provide a crisp closing event without any material fuel dribble,and with the injected fuel still being properly atomized at the end ofinjection. Such closing pressure may be on the order of about3,000-4,000 psig.

Although not shown, if desired, the unintensified form of the inventionmay be arranged to have a two-part needle with a needle plunger likeplunger 136 of the intensified form, for slowing down the openingmovement of the needle, while nevertheless enabling the needle to beshort and light-weight for fast closure with minimum possible closurebounce. Also, if desired, although not shown, the unintensified form ofthe invention may embody a damper cavity like cavity 70 of theintensified form in the fuel supply (and vent) conduit extension 226,with an opening stop plate or wafer like stop plate 71 of theintensified form biased against a lapped seat, for providing a two-stepopening event as in the intensified form. In such case, the upper springguide 222 would be omitted.

Needle closure damping is effected in the same way in the unintensifiedform of the invention shown in FIGS. 14-17 as in the intensified formshown in FIGS. 1-13, damper/guide 212 in the unintensified formoperating in the same manner as damper/guide 122 in the intensifiedform. Thus, during the closing event, fuel must be displaced from belowannular base 214 of guide/damper 212 between the flanged periphery ofbase 214 and the wall of spring cavity 218 to above the base 214. Thisprovides hydraulic squish damping of needle 204, preventing needlebounce and consequent fuel dribble often associated with high speedneedle closure. Needle 204 of unintensified injector 150 is very short,and consequently may be very light in weight so as to cooperate in suchsquish damping by minimizing the amount of needle inertia which must becontrolled. The needle closure damping effect can be adjusted byadjusting the radial clearance around and under damper/guide 212.

A unique operational feature of an accumulator-type injector is that theamount of lift of the needle off of its valve seat varies generally inproportion to the difference between the accumulator opening and closingpressures. Since the incremental volume of fuel injected during aninjection event is also generally proportional to the difference betweenthe opening and closing pressures, the amount of needle lift during aninjection event will be generally proportional to the incremental fuelvolume delivered during the injection event. Advantage is taken of thischaracteristic of the accumulator injector in the form of the inventionshown in FIGS. 14-17 to tailor the spray configuration variablyaccording to the power demands of the engine so as to optimizecombustion at varying power settings. This is accomplished with thepintle-type nozzle 164 in injector 152. The manner in which pintlenozzle 164 thus tailors the spray is illustrated in FIGS. 15, 16 and 17.

At relatively low fuel delivery, as for example during engine idle, bestcombustion is achieved with a relatively wide, flat conical sprayconfiguration. At higher and higher power settings, it is desirable tohave the cone of the spray become narrower and narrower, and arelatively narrow spray cone is most efficient for a full power settingto get the spray through the whole cylinder combustion cavity.

FIG. 15 illustrates needle 204 in its fully closed position, with itsseating surface 236 fully seated against valve seat 202. In thisposition of needle 204, the flared pintle head 238 is substantiallyentirely outside of the cylindrical valve output orifice 228. As theneedle lifts slightly above seat 202 in a minimum power setting of theengine, pintle head 238 is still mostly outside of orifice 228, enablingthe frustoconical deflecting surface 240 of pintle head 238 to deflectthe injected fuel at a maximum cone angle of relatively flatconfiguration.

FIG. 16 shows needle 204 at an intermediate fuel delivery position forintermediate engine power, the needle being shown in FIG. 12approximately half-way between its fully closed and fully openedpositions. In the intermediate needle position of FIG. 12, pintle headdeflecting surface 240 is substantially completely within cylindricalorifice 228, but it is still in a position to cause a considerableamount of deflection of the fuel into a substantial cone angle of theinjected spray.

In the fully opened position of the needle illustrated in FIG. 17, thecylindrical tip portion 242 of pintle head 238 has moved part-way intocylindrical orifice 228 to provide a narrow cylindrical fuel ejectionannulus which greatly reduces the deflecting effect of the frustoconicalsurface 240 to produce a relatively narrow conical fuel sprayconfiguration which optimizes combustion at high fuel delivery for highengine power

Selection of the deflecting surface 240 of pintle head 238 to besubstantially frustoconical assures that the spray configuration will begenerally conical.

While the straight cylindrical orifice 228 and pintle head 238 with afrustoconical deflecting surface 240 and a straight cylindrical tipportion 242 provide good tailoring of the spray configuration to matchvarying fuel deliveries, it is to be understood that the contours oforifice 228 and pintle head 238 may be varied as desired to meetparticular engine requirements within the scope of the invention. It isalso to be understood that a pintle-type nozzle such as nozzle 164 shownin FIGS. 14-17 may optionally be employed in an intensified form of thepresent invention such as that shown in FIGS. 1-13.

The hydraulic damping of needle closure events provided by dampingflange 214 within spring cavity 218 cooperates with the spray tailoringof pintle nozzle 164 to preserve the tailored configuration of the sprayright up to needle closure, without altered spray characteristics aswould be otherwise caused by needle bounce. By having the damper in thespring cavity and thus remote from the needle tip, the damper cannotalter the flow characteristics of the pintle nozzle.

FIGS. 18, 19 and 20 diagrammatically illustrate another two-stage needlelift control system, generally designated 250 which is shown applied toan intensified accumulator injector. The needle lift control system 250is in the form of a hydraulic circuit which produces two-stage ventingfrom low pressure cylinder 252 above low pressure intensifier piston 254through inlet/vent passage 256. This, in turn, produces a two-stageupward movement of high pressure intensifier piston 258 and consequenttwo-stage pressure relief in high pressure intensifier cylinder 260causing a first, low-lift increment of movement of injector needle 262,and then in sequence the full lift movement of needle 262. Needle 262 isillustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 18 as a unitary needle structureaxially slideable in guide bore 263. It is to be understood, however,that a divided needle may be employed as in the form of the inventionillustrated in FIGS. 1-13. The intensified form of the inventionemployed in conjunction with the two-stage hydraulic lift control system250 of FIGS. 18, 19 and 20 may be structurally and functionally like theintensified injector system of FIGS. 1-13, although it does not employ aneedle stop and damping plate like plate 71 to produce the two-stageneedle lift control.

FIG. 18 illustrates the needle lift control system 250 in an actuatedcondition for producing the intensification stroke, with rail pressureapplied through inlet/vent passage 256 to low pressure cylinder 252,with both low pressure piston 254 and high pressure piston 258 at theirlowermost positions and needle 262 closed. FIG. 19 illustrates thehydraulic circuit 250 in an unactuated, preliminary slow vent conditionin which fluid pressure is slowly vented out of low pressure cylinder254 through inlet/vent passage 256, with respective low and highpressure pistons 252 and 258 slightly raised to partially relievepressure in high pressure cylinder 260 and thereby allow a preliminarylow-lift increment of needle movement. FIG. 20 illustrates the hydrauliccircuit 250 in an unactuated full vent condition in which fluid pressureis fully vented from low pressure cylinder 254 through inlet/ventpassage 256, allowing full upward movement of the respective low andhigh pressure pistons 252 and 258, reducing the fluid pressure in highpressure intensification cylinder 260 sufficiently for full needle lift.

Referring to FIG. 18, the needle control system 250 has a its primarybasis a tandem valve arrangement consisting of a high speed solenoidvalve generally designated 264 and a control valve generally designated266 which is actuated in response to actuation of solenoid valve 264.Solenoid valve 264 has a valve chamber 268 inside the body of the valve,with a valve seat cartridge 270 in chamber 268. A supply ball poppet 272is located in supply chamber 274 defined in one end of the valve chamber268, supply chamber 274 receiving fuel at rail pressure through a supplypassage 276. A vent ball poppet 278 is located in vent chamber 280defined in the other end of valve chamber 268, and is in communicationwith a vent passage 282 which communicates to a vent pressure which maybe somewhat above atmospheric pressure, as for example about 30 psig, ormay if desired be atmospheric pressure.

Valve seat cartridge 270 has an axial passage 284 therethrough whichcommunicates with the seats for both balls 272 and 278. A ball separatorpin 286 extends through passage 284 and holds balls 272 and 278 spacedapart greater than the spacing between the two valve seats, so that wheneither ball is seated it causes the other ball to become unseated. Acontrol conduit 288 communicates with the cartridge passage 284, andhence with both of the valve seats. Solenoid 290 is axially aligned withballs 272 and 278 and the ball seats, and has an armature pin 292 which,in the energized condition of solenoid 290 illustrated in FIG. 18,closes vent ball 278 against its seat, which causes supply ball 272 tobe unseated. In the deenergized condition of solenoid 290 as illustratedin both of FIGS. 19 and 20, vent ball 278 is released, enabling railpressure fuel in supply chamber 274 to close supply ball 272 against itseat, which in turn causes vent ball 278 to be lifted off of its seat.

Control valve 266 has a cylinder 294 in its valve body, with a controlpiston 296 slideable in cylinder 294. A fuel supply conduit 298communicates from solenoid valve control conduit 288 through a checkvalve 300 to cylinder 294 at the rear of piston 296. A variable bleedorifice 302 provides outlet communication from cylinder 294 behindpiston 296 through an increment vent conduit 304 to the solenoid valvecontrol conduit 288. Bleed orifice 302 may have manual adjustment meanssuch as an adjustment needle 306 for adjusting the rate of bleed throughorifice 302, or may have automatic adjustment means controlled accordingto the condition of engine operation. Bleed orifice 302 is adapted toallow pressurized liquid to slowly bleed from cylinder 294 behind piston296 so as to allow slow retraction of piston 296.

A primary vent conduit 308 communicates with cylinder 294 but iscompletely blocked by piston 296 in the fully advanced, actuatedposition of piston 296 as seen in FIG. 18. Piston 296 has an annularrelief or reduction 310 proximate the head of the piston, which isoffset from the primary vent conduit 308 in the fully advanced positionof piston 296 as shown in FIG. 18, but which shifts into registry withvent conduit 308 when piston 296 shifts to a retracted position as shownin FIG. 20. Piston head relief 310 may, if desired, be in the form of anannular array of axially directed bleed grooves. Inlet/vent passage 256for low pressure intensifier cylinder 254 communicates with cylinder 294forward of the head of piston 296 in all positions of piston 296, and isplaced in fluid communication with primary vent conduit 308 when piston296 retracts to a full vent position like that illustrated in FIG. 20.

A poppet valve is carried in the body of control valve 266 in axialalignment with cylinder 294 and piston 296, spaced forward of the headof piston 296. This poppet valve includes an annular valve seat member312 and a ball poppet 314 carried in a high pressure ball chamber 316.Chamber 316 is provided with liquid fuel at rail pressure from supplypassage 276 through a supply conduit 318. Ball 314 is normally held in aclosed, seated position as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 by rail pressure offuel in ball chamber 316. A ball actuator pin 320 extending from thehead of piston 296 is adapted to unseat ball 314 in the fully actuated,advanced position of piston 296 as shown in FIG. 18 to supply fuel atrail pressure through seat member 312, cylinder 294 and inlet/ventpassage 256 to low pressure intensifier cylinder 252 to provide theintensification stroke.

In operation, the two-stage needle lift control system 250 of FIGS.18-20 first produces an intensification stroke during which theaccumulator is charged with fuel under intensified pressure, and thehigh fluid pressure in the high pressure intensification cylinder holdsthe needle down. Then, at the engine-programmed time for injection, theprelift or low-lift needle movement is caused to occur for injection ofa pilot charge, and then in sequence full needle lift is effected forthe main fuel charge.

This operational sequence of the control system 250 starts with thesystem in its fully relaxed condition illustrated in FIG. 20. In thecondition of FIG. 20, solenoid 290 is unenergized, its armature pin 292retracted to the right, supply ball 272 seated under the influence offuel at rail pressure, and vent ball 278 unseated. Fuel pressure hasbeen vented from cylinder 294 of control valve 266 through bleed orifice302, increment vent conduit 304, control conduit 288, axial passage 284of seat cartridge 270, and out past vent ball 278, its vent chamber 280and vent passage 282. Such venting has caused control valve piston 296to shift to the right to its full vent position in which pressurizedfluid has been vented from low pressure intensifier cylinder 254 throughinlet/vent passage 256, cylinder 296 and primary vent conduit 308, thuscausing respective low and high pressure intensifier pistons 252 and 258to be in their fully retracted or full lift positions, with injectorneedle 262 closed. Ball 314 of control valve 266 is seated, blockingrail pressure fuel from entering low pressure intensifier cylinder 254.

Energization of solenoid 290 shifts the control system 250 to itscondition illustrated in FIG. 18. When solenoid 290 is energized, itsarmature pin 292 is extended, to the left as illustrated, seating ventball 278 and unseating supply ball 272. Fuel at rail pressure passesinto the system from supply passage 276 through supply ball chamber 274,past supply ball 272 through axial passage 284 of cartridge 270, andthence through control conduit 288, supply conduit 298 and past opencheck valve 300 into control valve cylinder 294, moving piston 296 toits fully advanced position, to the left as viewed. In this position,piston 296 closes off primary vent conduit 308 and unseats ball 314,allowing rail pressure fuel to pass from supply passage 276 throughconduit 318, ball chamber 316, ball seat member 312, cylinder 294, andinlet/vent passage 256 into low pressure intensifier cylinder 252,producing the downward intensification stroke of intensifier pistons 254and 258 and thereby charging the accumulator. The control System 250 hasthus prepared the injector for an injection event, and as long assolenoid 290 is energized, the system will remain ready to effect thetwo-stage needle lift sequence.

The two-stage injection event is initiated by deenergization of solenoid290, which instantaneously shifts solenoid valve 264 to its conditionillustrated in FIG. 19, with supply ball 272 seated and vent ball 278unseated. Check valve 300 is now seated, and the only escape path forfuel from control valve cylinder 294 behind piston 296 is through bleedorifice 302. At the instant solenoid 290 is deenergized, full railpressure is present in cylinder 294 in front of piston 296, suchpressure biasing piston 296 in the direction of retraction, to the rightas viewed. Piston 296 now retracts to the right at a rate controlled bythe variable bleed orifice 302, first allowing ball 314 to seat, andthen enlarging the volume in cylinder 294 on the head side of piston296, which reduces the fluid pressure in low pressure intensifiercylinder 254 and allows incremental upward movement of intensifierpistons 252 and 258, reducing the intensified pressure above the needleand causing the low-lift or prelift increment of needle lift for thepilot charge to be injected.

FIG. 19 illustrates the control system 250 in this low-lift or preliftcondition, the space between the vertical arrows to the left of FIG. 19illustrating the low-lift increment of movement of the intensifierpistons. The low-lift condition remains in effect as long as piston 296blanks off primary vent conduit 308 as seen in FIG. 19, the timeinterval of the low-lift condition being determined by the rate at whichfuel bleeds from behind piston 296 through variable bleed orifice 302.The main injection event commences when the reduced head portion 310 ofpiston 296 comes into registry with primary vent conduit 308 as piston296 retracts from its position shown in FIG. 19 to its position shown inFIG. 20. The space between the vertical arrows to the left of thediagram of FIG. 20 illustrates the full lift increment of movement ofthe intensifier pistons.

While the two-stage needle lift hydraulic control system 250 of FIGS.18-20 has been shown and described above applied to an intensified typeaccumulator injector, it is to be understood that it is equallyapplicable to an unintensified type accumulator injector, as for examplethe injector shown in FIGS. 14-17. Applying the system 250 of FIGS.18-20 to injector 152 as seen in FIG. 14, inlet/vent passage 256 for theactuating fluid would be connected to inlet/vent passage 176 ofunintensified injector 152. Then the hydraulic system 250 will apply thetwo-stage venting directly to spring cavity 218 and hence directly tothe top of needle 204 so as to produce the two-stage needle lift.

Another form of two-stage needle lift control system is shown in FIGS.21 and 22, which has a hydraulic control circuit that is very similar tothe hydraulic circuit of the form shown in FIGS. 18-20, but whichincorporates a positive stop to accurately define the first increment ofneedle lift. The system of FIGS. 21 and 22 is also shown applied to anintensified form of accumulator injector. The control system of FIGS. 21and 22 embodies a stop piston in axial alignment with the needle and itsplunger, and has the intensifier offset to the side. This structuralarrangement of the injector is illustrated in FIG. 21, which will firstbe described, while the implementing hydraulic circuit isdiagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 22.

Referring to FIG. 21, the injector is generally designated 330, and hasan upper body 332 with an intensifier portion 334 off to one side, and astop piston portion 336 generally axially aligned with the injectorneedle. Axially aligned with and below stop piston body portion 336 isaccumulator body 338, with a lapped seal therebetween. Nozzle body 340defines the lower end portion of injector 330, and has a lapped seal fitagainst the lower end of accumulator body 338. The three bodies 332, 338and 340 are clamped together by injector housing 342, with accumulatorbody 338 and nozzle body 340 seated within housing 342, and the stoppiston portion 336 of upper body 332 threadedly coupled in the upper endof housing 342. An O-ring seal 344 is engaged between the top of housing342 and upper body 332.

The intensifier portion 334 of injector 330 is only diagrammaticallyillustrated, and it is to be understood that it has components similarto those of the intensifier portion of injector 10 illustrated in FIGS.1-13, and functions in essentially the same way. The intensifier portion334 of injector 330 includes low pressure intensifier piston 346slideable in low pressure cylinder 348, with inlet/vent passage 350 incommunication with low pressure cylinder 348. High pressure intensifierpiston 352 is slideable in high pressure cylinder 354.

An intensified pressure conduit 356 leads from the inner, lower end ofhigh pressure cylinder 354 downwardly through stop piston body portion336 to a check valve 358 which serves as the inlet to the primaryaccumulator cavity. Thus, intensified pressure conduit 356 delivers highpressure fuel through check valve 358 into a longitudinally arrangedaccumulator bore 360 in the same manner that intensified pressurizedfuel in the first form of the invention is delivered through check valve88 into accumulator bore 90 as seen in FIG. 4.

Below the interface 361 between the bottom of stop piston body portion336 and the top of accumulator body 338, the structure and operation ofinjector 330 of FIG. 21 are essentially the same as they are in injector10 of FIGS. 1-8 below the top surface 24 of its accumulator body 26.Minor variations will be noted below. Thus, the primary accumulatorcavity of injector 330 consists of a series of accumulator bores likebore 360 peripherally spaced about accumulator body 338 which are incommunication with each other through annular cavity 362 in the bottomof accumulator body 338. The primary accumulator cavity communicatesfrom annular cavity 362 through passages 364 in nozzle body 340 tokidney cavity 366, and thence to needle cavity 368. Needle 370 isnormally biased to its closed position by needle spring 372 andguide/damper 374 which are located in spring cavity 375.

Needle plunger 376 extends upwardly from guide/damper 374 through spring372 and plunger guide bore 378 in the upper end portion of accumulatorbody 342. Needle plunger 376 has a sliding fluid-tight seal in its guidebore 378, and its upper end is exposed to a small annual intensifiercavity 380. Intensifier cavity 380 communicates through a passage 382and high pressure conduit 356 to the high pressure intensifier cylinder354.

A minor variation in injector 330 of FIG. 21 from injector 10 of FIGS.1-13 is that a generally cylindrical annular clearance 384 is providedbetween the outer surface of accumulator body 338 and the inner surfaceof housing 342. This clearance 384 has an outward frustoconical flare atits upper end from which a vent passage 386 extends upwardly throughstop piston body portion 336. Vent passage 386 is vented to a fuelsupply source at relatively low pressure, as for example about 30 psig.Annular clearance 384 and vent passage 386 serve two functions. First,spring cavity 375 is filled with liquid fuel through a radial passage387 from clearance 384 to cavity 375. Second, any leakage between thelapped interfaces between the stacked bodies will accumulate in theannular clearance 384 and be vented through vent passage 386.

A stop piston 388 is provided in injector 330 to positively define boththe small incremental prelift of the needle and the extent of the fulllift of the needle. Stop piston 388 is axially slideable a shortdistance in a cylinder 390 which is axially aligned with needle 370 andits plunger 376. Stop piston 388 has a downwardly extending coaxial rodor plunger portion 392 which is slideable with a fluid-tight seal in abore 394. Although stop piston 388 and its plunger 392 are illustratedas an integral unit, they may if desired, be separate parts and willfunction as a unit. A generally radially oriented vent passage 396provides pressure relief from the bottom of cylinder 390 to the annularclearance 384, and hence to vent passage 386.

Upward travel of stop piston 388 is limited by piston stop member 396which is located by means of a threaded positioning plug 400.Positioning plug 400 may, if desired, be threadedly axially adjustableto adjust the axial position of piston stop member 398. Stop member 398determines the uppermost limit of travel of stop piston 388, andconsequently of needle 370 and its plunger 376, as will be discussedbelow. An inlet/vent passage 402 provides alternate rail pressure andvent communication through positioning plug 400 and stop member 398 tostop piston cylinder 390.

The small increment 404 of needle prelift for the pilot charge isdefined by the space between the upper end of needle plunger 376 and thelower end of stop piston plunger 392 with needle 370 in its closedposition and stop piston 388 in its lowermost position as these partsare illustrated in FIG. 21. This is the position of the parts aftercompletion of an intensification stroke with injector 330 prepared foran injection event. At such time rail pressure is being applied both tolow pressure intensifier piston 346 through inlet/vent passage 350 andto stop piston cylinder 390 through inlet/vent passage 402. At such timehigh intensified pressure is being applied from high pressureintensifier cylinder 354 through high pressure conduit 356 and passage382 to the small intensifier cavity 380. The accumulator cavity is atintensified pressure, applied through check valve 358. Fullintensification pressure within intensifier cavity 380 holds the needledown, the downward force of high intensification pressure in intensifiercavity 380 against needle plunger 376 plus the downward force of spring372 on needle 370 being greater than the upward force of accumulatorpressure on the needle.

An injection event is initiated by partial venting of pressure from lowpressure intensifier cylinder 348 out through inlet/vent passage 350, aswill be explained in connection with FIG. 22. Such initial partialventing of low pressure intensifier cylinder 348 is not accompanied byany venting from stop piston cylinder 390, which is maintained at railpressure, Lowering of the intensifier pressure by partial retraction orbacking off of the two intensifier pistons 346 and 352 will cause theintensified pressure within intensifier cavity 380 to be loweredsufficiently for the upward force of accumulator pressure on needle 370to overcome the downward force of intensifier cavity pressure on pistonplunger 376 and the downward force of spring 372, at which time needle370 will shift upwardly in its small initial increment 404 of lift whichis stopped when the upper end of needle plunger 376 engages the lowerend of stop piston plunger 392. At this time the full rail pressureagainst stop piston 388 blocks further upward movement of the needle.The time interval during which the needle is at this small preliftincrement is adjustable by the hydraulic circuit of FIG. 22, and at theend of this time interval rail pressure is vented from stop pistoncylinder 390 through inlet/vent conduit 402, allowing the needle to moveupwardly a further increment 406 to its fully opened position which isdetermined by engagement of the upper end of stop piston 388 againststop member 398. The main injection event then occurs, and ends whenaccumulator pressure drops sufficiently for needle spring 372 to closeneedle 370.

FIG. 22 illustrates a hydraulic circuit 410 for operating the positivestop injector of FIG. 21. The hydraulic circuit 410 of FIG. 22 is thesame as the hydraulic circuit of FIGS. 18-20 except for the addition ofcircuit components associated with stop piston 388 and its cylinder 390which provide the positive incremental prelift stop for the needle.These additional components include a stop cylinder feed passage 412which connects to control conduit 288 and communicates through a checkvalve 414 to stop cylinder inlet/vent passage 402. Also added in thehydraulic circuit of FIG. 22 is a stop cylinder vent passage 416 whichconnects stop cylinder inlet/vent passage 402 to control valve cylinder294 at the same axial position as primary vent conduit 308.

Energization of solenoid 290 produces the intensification stroke ofintensifier pistons 346 and 352 by lifting supply ball 272 off of itsseat, providing rail pressure fuel through passages 284, 288 and 298past check valve 300 into control valve cylinder 294 to extend controlpiston 296 to its fullest extent to the left as viewed in FIG. 22. Inthis position of piston 296, its ball actuator pin 320 lifts ball 314off of its seat, admitting rail pressure fuel through conduits 276 and318, chamber 316, valve seat 312, cylinder 294, and inlet/vent passage350 to low pressure intensifier cylinder 348.

Simultaneously with pressurization of the intensifier cavity 380, railpressure fuel is provided to stop piston cylinder 390 to place stoppiston 388 in its positive stop position illustrated in FIG. 21. Suchrail pressure fuel is provided from supply conduit 276 through chamber274, conduits 284, 288 and 412, check valve 414, and stop cylinderinlet/vent passage 402.

Initiation of the two-stage injection event is caused by deenergizationof solenoid 290, which causes solenoid valve supply ball 272 to seat andvent ball 278 to become unseated. The first, small increment stage ofneedle lift is produced by the hydraulic circuit 410 of FIG. 22 in thesame way as it was produced in the hydraulic circuit 250 of FIGS. 18-20,except for the positive limitation placed on the first-stage needle liftby stop piston 388. Thus, upon deenergization of solenoid 290, controlvalve piston 296 slowly retracts to the right in FIG. 22 as fuel incylinder 294 behind piston 296 bleeds out through bleed orifice 302,passages 304, 288 and 284, vent chamber 280, and vent passage 282. Suchretracting movement of piston 296 lowers the pressure on its head sidewhich lowers the pressure in low pressure intensifier cylinder 348 viainlet/vent passage 350, allowing intensifier pistons 346 and 352 topartially retract. When such partial retraction is sufficient, loweredpressure in intensifier cavity 380 of FIG. 21 will allow the needle tolift in its small first-stage increment which is positively defined byabutment of the needle plunger 376 against stop piston plunger 392. Atthis time the full rail pressure is maintained in stop piston cylinder390 because stop cylinder vent passage 416 is closed off by controlvalve piston 296 and stop cylinder feed passage check valve 414 isclosed.

As control piston 296 continues to retract to the right in FIG. 22because of fuel bleeding through orifice 302, the piston's reduced headportion 310 comes into registry with both primary vent conduit 308 andstop cylinder vent passage 416 at the same time, whereby low pressureintensifier cylinder 348 and stop piston cylinder 390 are simultaneouslyvented through control cylinder 294 and primary vent conduit 308. Thissimultaneously removes the two barriers of high intensification pressureand stop piston 388 from above needle plunger 376, allowing full lift ofthe needle.

FIG. 23 illustrates a further modified intensified form of the inventiongenerally designated 10c which utilizes a needle stop and damping plateor member to accomplish the two-stage needle lift in a manner similar tothe forms of the invention shown in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10. However, in theform shown in FIG. 23, stop plate member 71c has a lap-fitted pin 410axially slideable with a fluid-tight seal in an axial bore 412 throughstop member 71c. As with the stop plates in the forms shown in FIGS. 8,9 and 10, stop member 71c has its bottom surface sealingly lap-fitted toa shoulder formed by the top surface 24 of accumulator body 26. Withthis construction, intensified pressure from damper cavity 70c is notdirectly transmitted through a hole in the stop plate or member as inthe other forms, and the needle hold-down force prior to the injectionevent is provided by intensified fluid pressure against the top of pin410. This arrangement minimizes the possibility of intensifiedpressurized fluid getting underneath stop member 71c during the first,prelift stage of needle movement to assure against premature ending ofthe first stage needle lift event.

As with the form of the invention shown in FIG. 8, the upper end 140 ofneedle plunger 136 is offset below the upper surface 24 of accumulatorbody 26 in the closed position of the needle. The amount of this offsetclearance determines the extent of the small initial needle lift toprovide the pilot charge.

When high pressure intensifier piston 52 starts to retract at thebeginning of an injection event, lowered fluid pressure within dampercavity 70c enables the upward force of accumulator fluid pressure on theneedle to overcome the downward forces of the needle spring and fluidpressure on pin 410 to allow the prelift increment of needle movement tooccur. Such first-stage needle movement is stopped by abutment of theupper end 140 of needle plunger 136 against the bottom surface of stopmember or plate 71c. At this time, the downward force of fluid pressurein damper cavity 70c against stop member 71c and its pin 410 plus thedownward force of the needle spring are still greater than the upwardforce of accumulator fluid pressure on the needle, to effect thepositive stop of needle plunger 136 against seated stop member 71c. Asintensifier piston 52 further retracts upwardly to further reduce thefluid pressure in damper cavity 70c, the upward force of accumulatorfluid pressure against the needle will, in sequence, overcome thedownward forces of fluid pressure against stop member 71c and its pin410 and of the needle spring, to enable needle plunger 136 to unseatstop member 71c and allow the needle to move to its fully openedposition which is defined by engagement of the upper surface of stopmember 71c against stop shoulder 73c at the top of damper cavity 70c.

While the present invention has been described with regard to particularembodiments, it is to be understood that modifications may readily bemade by those skilled in the art, and it is intended .that the claimscover any such modifications which fall within the scope and spirit ofthe invention as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:
 1. A method of reducing undesired premixed burning in aninternal combustion engine, comprising:A. lifting an injector needle ofa fuel injector a constant low-lift increment from a valve seat of saidfuel injector; then B. preventing lifting of said needle beyond saidlow-lift increment for a sufficient interval of time to inject arelatively small initial fuel charge into the engine, said intervalterminating when lifting forces imposed on said needle overcome holdingforces imposed on said needle by a stop plate, said stop plate havingopposed first and second surfaces exposed to an ambient fluid pressureand to a fluid vapor pressure, respectively; and then C. lifting saidneedle to a higher lift position to inject a main fuel charge into theengine.
 2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said fuel injector isa pressure intensified-type fuel injector, and wherein said ambientfluid pressure comprises intensified fluid pressure.
 3. A method asdefined in claim 2, wherein said intensified fluid pressure is imposedon said needle through a hole formed in said stop plate.
 4. A method asdefined in claim 1, wherein said preventing step commences when saidneedle abuts said stop plate and terminates when said stop plate liftswith said needle.
 5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein said fluidvapor pressure is formed from an essentially fluid-tight seal formed bythe seating of said stop plate onto a mating flat stationary member, andwherein, when said stop plate is lifted, said seal is broken and fluidpressure at the interface between said stop plate and said stationarymember increases from said fluid vapor pressure to said ambientpressure.
 6. A fuel injector for an internal combustion enginecomprising:A. an injector body; B. a nozzle provided on said injectorbody and defining an injector needle valve seat; C. an injector needleslidably received in said injector body and being normally seated onsaid valve seat; and D. a stop plate disposed in said injector body andbeing normally positioned so as to have opposed first and secondsurfaces thereof exposed to an ambient fluid pressure and to a fluidvapor pressure, respectively.
 7. A fuel injector as defined in claim 6,wherein said second surface of said stop plate comprises a downwardlyfacing flat and smooth surface which is normally seated on a flat andsmooth shoulder of said injector body so as to provide an essentiallyfluid-tight seal therebetween.
 8. A fuel injector as defined by claim 7,wherein an axial clearance is formed between said stop plate and anupwardly facing surface of said injector needle when said injectorneedle is seated on said valve seat, said injector needle closing saidclearance to abut said stop plate upon being lifted from said valveseat.
 9. A fuel injector as defined in claim 8, wherein said downwardlyfacing surface of said stop plate has a recess formed therein the depthof which substantially defines said axial clearance, said upwardlyfacing surface of said injector needle entering said recess when saidinjector needle rises from its seated position.
 10. A fuel injector asdefined in claim 8, wherein said stop plate has an axial hole formedtherethrough via which said ambient fluid pressure is imposed on saidupwardly facing surface of said injector needle.
 11. A fuel injector asdefined in claim 10, further comprising a pin extending through saidhole and abutting said upwardly facing surface of said injector needle.12. A fuel injector as defined in claim 11, wherein said pin has anupper end positioned in a cavity containing pressurized fluid.
 13. Afuel injector as defined in claim 18, wherein said ambient fluidpressure biases said injector needle towards said valve seat, andfurther comprising a needle spring which biases said injector needletowards said valve seat and a plate spring which biases said stop platetowards said shoulder of said injector body.
 14. A fuel injector asdefined in claim 6, wherein said fuel injector is an accumulator-typefuel injector in which the energy for injection is stored by thecompression of liquid fuel within said injector.
 15. A fuel injector asdefined in claim 6, wherein said fuel injector is a pressureintensified-type fuel injector having a cavity exposed to intensifiedfluid pressure, and wherein said stop plate is provided in said cavity.16. A fuel injector as defined in claim 6, wherein said injector needlecomprises a unitary injector needle.
 17. A fuel injector as defined inclaim 6, wherein said injector needle comprises a two-part injectorneedle.
 18. A fuel injector as defined in claim 6, wherein said nozzleis a sac nozzle.
 19. A fuel injector as defined in claim 6, wherein saidnozzle is a pintle type nozzle.
 20. A method of reducing undesirablepremixed burning in an internal combustion engine, comprisingA. raisingan injector needle of an accumulator-type fuel injector off its valveseat a small constant low-lift increment for a sufficient interval oftime to inject a small initial fuel charge into the engine; and then B.raising the needle to a higher lift position to inject a main fuelcharge into the engine.
 21. A fuel injector comprising:A. an injectorbody having(1) a longitudinal bore formed therein, (2) a nozzle formedin a bottom end of said bore and defining a needle valve seat, and (3) apressurized cavity formed therein located above and in communicationwith an upper end of said bore; B. an injector needle slidably receivedin said bore and having a lower end normally seated on said valve seatand an upper end normally disposed proximate a junction between saidpressurized cavity and said bore; and C. a stop plate disposed in saidpressurized cavity and having(1) an upper surface exposed to an ambientfluid pressure in said cavity, (2) a lower surface sealingly contactinga shoulder of said injector body, and (3) a hole formed therethroughpermitting the imposition of forces, generated by said ambient fluidpressure in said pressurized cavity, on said upper end of said injectorneedle.
 22. A fuel injector as defined in claim 21, wherein said stopplate has a recess formed in said lower surface thereof for receivingsaid upper end of said injector needle when said injector needle islifted from said valve seat.
 23. A fuel injector as defined in claim 21,wherein said ambient fluid pressure biases said injector needle towardssaid valve seat, and further comprising a needle spring which biasessaid injector needle towards said valve seat and a plate spring whichbiases said stop plate towards said shoulder of said injector body. 24.A fuel injector as defined in claim 21, further comprising a pinextending through said hole of said stop plate and abutting said upperend of said injector needle.
 25. A fuel injector as defined in claim 21,wherein said hole in said stop plate defines a fluid flow path betweensaid upper end of said injector needle and said pressurized cavity. 26.A fuel injector as defined in claim 21, whereinA. the pressure at aninterface between said lower surface of said stop plate and saidshoulder of said injector body is approximately fluid vapor pressure,and B. the net pressure forces on said stop plate are the product of 1)the interface area and 2) the difference between an ambient pressure insaid pressurized cavity and said vapor pressure.
 27. A method ofreducing undesired premixed burning of fuel in an internal combustionengine, comprising:A. first injecting a small initial charge of fuelfrom an accumulator-type fuel injector into said engine at a relativelylow rate, said initial fuel charge being injected through a relativelysmall substantially constant needle aperture for a first time interval;and then B. injecting a main fuel charge into said engine at arelatively high rate which gradually decreases from an initial peakrate, said main fuel charge being injected through a relatively largesubstantially constant needle valve aperture for a second time interval,said relatively high rate of injection decreasing during said secondtime interval.
 28. In an internal combustion engine accumulator-typefuel injector, a method of reducing undesirable premixed burning in theengine which comprises:A. raising an injector needle off its valve seata small low-lift increment for a sufficient interval of time to inject asmall initial fuel charge into the engine; B. then lifting the needle toa full lift position to inject the main fuel charge into the engine; andC. controlling needle lift by controlled venting of pressurized liquidfrom a pressurized zone located above said needle.
 29. A method asdefined in claim 28, wherein said step of controlling comprises:A. firstrelatively slowly venting pressurized liquid from said pressurized zoneto produce said low-lift increment of lift of said injector needle; andB. then relatively rapidly venting pressurized liquid from saidpressurized zone to produce said raising of said injector needle to itssaid full lift position.
 30. A method as defined in claim 29, furthercomprising:A. placing a stop plate at a first stop position in which itis spaced said low-lift increment above the upper end of said injectorneedle prior to said relatively slow venting so as to positively stopsaid injector needle at its said low-lift increment of lift during saidrelatively slow venting; and B. releasing said stop plate from its firststop position during said relatively rapid venting so as to enable saidinjector needle to lift to its said full lift position.
 31. A method asdefined in claim 30, wherein said step of releasing said stop plateenables said stop plate to be raised to a second stop position duringsaid relatively rapid venting so as to positively stop said injectorneedle at its said full lift position.
 32. A method as defined in claim31, further comprising:A. holding said stop plate in its said first stopposition by fluid pressure during said relatively slow venting; and B.decreasing said fluid pressure so as to perform said releasing of saidstop plate.
 33. A method as defined in claim 28, wherein saidcontrolling step comprises controlled venting of pressurized liquid fromsaid pressurized zone so as to provide an injection rate which increaseswith time.
 34. A method as defined in claim 28, wherein said controllingstep comprises controlled venting of pressurized liquid from saidpressurized zone so as to provide an injection rate which increases withtime followed by an injection rate which decreases with time.